A Case Of Mistaken Identity

Those among us who lean politically more to the Left than to the Right seem to be able to convince themselves of almost anything.   I am constantly surprised by this attitude but must admit it is a remarkably convenient one.   

Generally speaking I am at a disadvantage when in discussion with those who hold strong political views of any kind.  I am not particularly political and therefore remarkably poor at coming up with good arguments or pulling statistics from the dusty recesses of memory at the drop of a hat.   You could say that my memory for political beliefs and principles of any Party is poor and the counter arguments I dream up are feeble and rely more on instinct than facts and figures.

So it was a strange conversation I had this week when discussing the State Of Education Today with a decidedly Left Wing Friend who is also a recently retired senior high school teacher (and a very good one it has to be admitted).

It was the National Party she maintained who first developed the scourge of  Mainstreaming in our schools.    She was vague as to when this happened but adamant that bright students in particular, were much better off educationally when classes were streamed   -   and on that point I could only agree with her and did not remind her that it was not always her belief.

It was the National Party who ensured that no funding was made available for the development of Special Programmes for High Ability Students.  That didn’t sound right to me either but I could only rely on her knowledge which should have been a lot more reliable than my own.  

However, I did say, `Are you quite sure about that?’  and she said she was.

It was the National Party who had been responsible for getting rid of uniforms too.

She had heard that in England `They’  had also been responsible for getting rid of the 11 plus examination and the introduction of  Comprehensive Schools but on this matter I had inside knowledge.

`Oh no, no – no,’ I said excitedly, `You’re quite wrong there –  Comprehensives were introduced by Labour. I know, I was there!’  I was triumphant.

She simply shrugged, `You may think that but the idea itself was first mooted by the Toffs – you can be sure of it.  They have a vested interest in the ruin of education.’

As I said, the Left can convince themselves of almost anything.

Later the husband said gently that he had read somewhere that Eton was a Comprehensive School but I wasn’t really listening because I was examining the truth behind the allegation that Andrew Little was said to be blaming the Chinese for the rise in house prices.

Andrew Little?   Really?   Surely it was Winston Peters!