Raising the bar

Ι precocious heard an admittance from a fierce professional of exemplary schools – selective nationalist schools that admit students based connected world exams – that I did not expect. “They’re really very bully schools,” helium told me. 

It was possibly the astir affirmative remark I’ve heard successful rather some time. Not lone due to the fact that it suggests that something is so changing successful nationalist acquisition – which, together with nationalist universities, should ever beryllium a top precedence for immoderate authorities – but besides due to the fact that it offers anticipation that we mightiness yet hold that advancement is being made successful definite areas that should not beryllium reduced to ideological disputes oregon petty criticism.

The near – and portion of the center-left – remains trapped successful the cliches of the past. For decades successful this country, we tried to little the barroom arsenic overmuch arsenic possible, chasing the lowest communal denominator. And we succeeded. 

Some did so by undermining nationalist acquisition successful the sanction of equality and compromise with unions, while others turned “elite schools” into ecosystems of patronage, nouveau riche excess, and a deficiency of meritocracy. It was a perfectly destructive combination, the consequences of which we are still paying. 

A smart, modern near would support exemplary schools, question to strengthen them done foundations and the backstage sector, and propulsion for their further development. Nothing serves the extremity of equality much than offering existent opportunities to children who cannot be backstage schools. 

We request to rise the barroom successful a world that is becoming ever much demanding and competitive. It will beryllium a large time when this state elects a person worthy of Eleftherios Venizelos oregon Konstantinos Karamanlis – someone who is besides a postgraduate of an fantabulous nationalist school.