Forum Message

Topic: Re:Re:Abusive Comments On This Forum
Posted by: Toby Young
Date/Time: 01/02/11 00:32:00

He calls me a "status-seeking zealot" – a well-made point, according to Iain Muir. I call him "incompetent" because he's a teacher who can't spell and I'm an abusive bastard who's lost the plot

I think each side now fully understands the other's position and there's little point in continuing this debate.

All my group has ever wanted to do is set up an academically rigorous secondary school to which all children in the neighbourhood have access, regardless of income, ability or faith. To that end, my colleagues and I have been working flat out for 18 months, without being paid and without any expectation of being paid, and it now looks almost certain we'll succeed.

I accept that some people genuinely believe that local authorities should enjoy a monopoly over taxpayer-funded education and that allowing non-state providers to enter the sector will have a negative impact on the existing family of schools, disrupting the delicate ecology of admissions. I also understand the argument that if taxpayer-funded schools aren't answerable to local authorities there is no guarantee their admissions policies will be fair and that the groups involved in the schools will gerrymander admissions to try and secure an advantage for their own children and those of their friends and those whom they'd like their children to be educated alongside (or whom opponents of the policy imagine the founders would like their children to be educated alongside).

I could respond to these and other arguments point by point – and, indeed, have done so countless times in this forum. But it makes no odds. Nothing I say will convince the West London Free School's opponents. I've enjoyed the many debates I've had on this forum and I'm sorry if my occasionally abrasive, combative style has offended anyone. It's now up to me and my colleagues to ensure that the school is fully inclusive and that it delivers an outstanding, classical liberal education without adversely affecting any of the surrounding schools.

I'm optimistic we can do that, but I accept that the only way to convince the sceptics will be to actually do it. So forgive me for bowing out of this forum and focusing on creating an excellent school which, I hope, will transform the lives of thousands of children in our part of London. The proof will be in the pudding.


Entire Thread
TopicDate PostedPosted By
Bijou School set for White City location.......18/01/11 11:46:00 Iain Muir
   Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......18/01/11 12:28:00 Anne Brown
      Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......23/01/11 22:00:00 Toby Young
         Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......23/01/11 22:58:00 Iain Muir
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......23/01/11 23:51:00 Toby Young
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......24/01/11 08:59:00 Colin Carroll
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......24/01/11 09:49:00 Jeremy Thorpe-Woods
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......24/01/11 13:59:00 Colin Carroll
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......24/01/11 14:53:00 Toby Young
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......24/01/11 18:30:00 Iain Muir
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......25/01/11 19:07:00 Colin Carroll
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......01/02/11 19:28:00 Jeremy Thorpe-Woods
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......01/02/11 19:35:00 Jeremy Thorpe-Woods
   Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......24/01/11 19:09:00 Andy Jones
   Bullies, liars and hypocrites are 25/01/11 10:06:00 Andy Magee
      Re:Bullies, liars and hypocrites are 25/01/11 10:28:00 Toby Young
         Re:Re:Bullies, liars and hypocrites are 26/01/11 09:51:00 Andy Jones
   Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......25/01/11 13:31:00 Andy Magee
      Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......26/01/11 10:45:00 Maire Lowe
      Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......26/01/11 12:38:00 Sarah Harris
         Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......26/01/11 16:13:00 Andy Magee
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......26/01/11 21:03:00 Maire Lowe
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......27/01/11 10:32:00 Andy Jones
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......28/01/11 10:40:00 Andy Magee
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......28/01/11 11:03:00 Maire Lowe
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......28/01/11 11:39:00 Andy Magee
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......28/01/11 12:57:00 Maire Lowe
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......28/01/11 15:57:00 Andy Magee
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......29/01/11 01:27:00 Toby Young
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......29/01/11 08:06:00 Andy Magee
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......29/01/11 08:45:00 Andy Magee
                                 Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......29/01/11 18:58:00 Iain Muir
                                    Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......29/01/11 22:10:00 Toby Young
                                       Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......29/01/11 23:46:00 Colin Carroll
                                       Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......29/01/11 23:59:00 Colin Carroll
                                       Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......30/01/11 19:34:00 Andy Magee
                                          Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......30/01/11 20:13:00 Toby Young
                                             Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......31/01/11 00:25:00 Iain Muir
                                                Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......31/01/11 00:49:00 Toby Young
                                                   Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......31/01/11 15:05:00 Thomas Barry
                                                      Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bijou School set for White City location.......31/01/11 16:33:00 Maire Lowe
                                             polemic comment  (not to be confused with the facts)31/01/11 15:50:00 Andy Magee
                                                Re:polemic comment  (not to be confused with the facts)31/01/11 19:40:00 Terence Barker
                                                   Re:Re:polemic comment  (not to be confused with the facts)31/01/11 21:32:00 Toby Young
                                                      Re:Re:Re:polemic comment  (not to be confused with the facts)31/01/11 22:32:00 Iain Muir
                                                         Re:Re:Re:Re:polemic comment  (not to be confused with the facts)31/01/11 22:42:00 Colin Carroll
                                                            Re:Abusive Comments On This Forum31/01/11 23:58:00 Paul Ambridge
                                                               Re:Re:Abusive Comments On This Forum01/02/11 00:32:00 Toby Young
                                                                  Re:Re:Re:Abusive Comments On This Forum01/02/11 08:37:00 Maria Pettit
                                                                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Abusive Comments On This Forum01/02/11 19:40:00 Jeremy Thorpe-Woods
                                                                        Rant in Peace Toby.03/02/11 16:31:00 Andy Magee
                                                                           Re:Rant in Peace Toby.04/02/11 08:12:00 Jeremy Thorpe-Woods
                                                                              Re:Re:Rant in Peace Toby.04/02/11 12:08:00 Andy Magee
                                                                                 Re:Re:Re:Rant in Peace Toby.15/02/11 19:27:00 Jeremy Thorpe-Woods
   Sycophan?04/02/11 08:26:00 Andy Magee
      Re:Sycophan?04/02/11 10:31:00 Sara Nathan
         Re:Re:Sycophan?04/02/11 10:42:00 Maire Lowe
            Re:Re:Re:Sycophan?08/02/11 09:01:00 Andy Jones
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Sycophan?11/02/11 17:24:00 Terence Barker
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Sycophan?15/02/11 08:42:00 Andy Jones
                     Education Guardian today - Feb 15th15/02/11 10:57:00 Sara Nathan
                        Re:Education Guardian today - Feb 15th15/02/11 11:09:00 Maire Lowe
                           Re:Re:Education Guardian today - Feb 15th15/02/11 11:34:00 Sara Nathan
                              Re:Re:Re:Education Guardian today - Feb 15th16/02/11 00:59:00 Iain Muir
                                 Re:Re:Re:Re:Education Guardian today - Feb 15th16/02/11 17:21:00 Iain Muir
                                    Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Education Guardian today - Feb 15th16/02/11 18:30:00 Sara Nathan
                                       Whither free schools - Toby young article18/03/11 16:59:00 Sara Nathan
                                          Re:Whither free schools - Toby young article19/03/11 11:28:00 Chris Hurley
                                             Re:Re:Whither free schools - Toby young article19/03/11 11:33:00 Maire Lowe
                                                Re:Re:Re:Whither free schools - Toby young article19/03/11 22:58:00 Colin Carroll
                                          Free schools: founders' children could gain priority admission21/03/11 12:03:00 Andy Magee
                                             Re:Free schools: founders' children could gain priority admission21/03/11 12:24:00 Maire Lowe
                                                Re:Re:Free schools: founders' children could gain priority admission21/03/11 12:40:00 Andy Magee
                                             Re:Free schools: founders' children could gain priority admission21/03/11 12:32:00 Sarah Harris
                                                Re:Re:Free schools: founders' children could gain priority admission21/03/11 15:11:00 Sara Nathan
                                                Re:Re:Free schools: founders' children could gain priority admission22/03/11 09:01:00 Alan Fairchild

Forum Home