A growing number of teenagers from private schools are applying to attend top comprehensives for their A-levels, it has emerged.

Headteachers from leading state schools have told Education Guardian that in the last couple of years, the number of teenagers from private schools who are applying for a place in their sixth forms has, in some cases, quadrupled.

They argue that this is partly because families have less money to spend on school fees, but also because more parents are realising that many state schools provide as good an education as their nearby private schools do. Jessica Shepherd, The Guardian.

That’s a foolish interpretation of what’s happening.

Some believe that it may also be because parents think the switch to the state sector will give their children a better chance of a place at a top university. Some universities, such as Bristol, now take into account when making offers whether an applicant has had the benefits of a private school, with its smaller class sizes, or has attended a comprehensive. Jessica Shepherd, The Guardian.

Which is exactly what’s happening rich kids have found another way of elbowing state school pupils aside in the scramble for a university place – we need to look at the entrance figures again and identify just how many students have been state school pupils their whole lives as opposed to just the last two years – we’d then get a truer picture of the bias in our university system.

Universities ‘cannot mend life’s unfairness’

Universities should not be forced to “undo the problems of 18 years of upbringing and education”; independent school heads have been told.

Peter Cottam, chairman of independent heads group, SHMIS, said skewing admissions towards state pupils is tackling the issue from the wrong end. BBC.

Universities can’t mend life’s unfairness but they certainly can be fairer. As the state provides the lion’s share of University funding I don’t see why the rich should maintain their disproportionate numbers of students at the country’s top universities – it’s about time state school pupils got the lion’s share of places commiserate with the lion’s share of contributions they make. Nothing wrong ended about that is there?

First set a new target and apply it retrospectively make sure the majority fail your new target but make sure that the target is relatively easy to achieve an hey presto you’ve an improvement. That’s the new English Baccalaureate target for schools in a nutshell.

Britain’s most senior police officer warned today of a new era of civil unrest as the national campaign against university fee increases and education cuts gathered momentum.

Sir Paul Stephenson, the commissioner of the Metropolitan police, said the two large-scale student demonstrations of the past fortnight had been marred by a previously unseen level of violence, adding: “The game has changed.” Paul Lewis, Matthew Taylor and Patrick Wintour, The Guardian

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One police van damaged and the Tory Headquarters occupied doesn’t he remember the poll tax riots of 1990?

You’re left with the feeling that the police would welcome more violence – it’d bolster their arguments that the police should be exempt from government cut-backs.

Thousands of schoolchildren and sixth formers are expected to take part in a national walkout on Wednesday as student protests over fees, which saw more than 50,000 people march in London last week, are stepped up across the country.

More than 16,000 young people have signed up to take part in the “day of action” and student leaders are predicting sit-ins, demonstrations and occupations in protest at plans to raise tuition fees and scrap the education maintenance allowance [EMA].

At the forefront of the demonstrations will be thousands of school and FE students – some as young as 15 – who have organised scores of walkouts across the country.

“The great thing about what has happened over the last week is that this idea of protest has embedded itself in the wider student community,” said Michael Chessum, 21, co-founder of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) which called the protest for next week. “All of a sudden there is a feeling that we do have some power that we can change things through peaceful direct action.” Matthew Taylor, Paul Lewis and Bibi van der Zee, The Guardian.

Kids you know what to do on Wednesday – walkout.

Student Protest Outside Millbank Tower

I’ve more than a little sympathy with the student protestors, I almost find some relief that at last we’ve had a riot – well that’s a bit of an exaggeration – and it’s difficult to get worked up over a few smashed windows and trashed offices of a group of multi-millionaires that is the Tory party.

What we do find sympathy with is those leaving school and looking to embark on a University education – the Con-Dem proposals to allow Universities to charge £6,000 a year and the best universities to charge £9,000 – and which university’s going to charge £6,000? Because if you’re not charging £9,000 then you’re a rubbish university.

Only the wealthy and the “deserving” poor are going to be leaving university without crippling debts.

Last year 209,000 would-be-students failed to find a place in future years far more will be unable to afford a place – the future for youngsters looks pretty bleak – no wonder there was a little anger evident – yes, I know someone could have been killed by that fire extinguisher – yes somebody went too far.

Not only do private schools enjoy the benefits of charitable status and there’s nothing charitable about teaching rich kids it now turns out we are funding their pensions.

The Green party, which requested the data, has calculated that the government is paying millions of pounds into private schoolteachers’ pensions by allowing them to be part of the scheme. The average wage for an independent school teacher is about £35,000. If the government guarantees 6% of the pension contributions of a teacher and there are 62,349 independent school teachers in the scheme, this amounts to more than £131m. The Department for Education, which responded to the request for information, said 1,639 of the 62,349 private school teachers in the scheme worked at top public schools such as St Paul’s, Harrow and Eton. Jessica Shepherd, The Guardian.

Yet again the poor paying the way of the rich.

Students in universities in England will face tuition fees of up to £9,000 per year from 2012 – as the government reveals its plans for higher education.

The coalition’s response to Lord Browne’s funding review will be published on Wednesday.

Universities will be able to charge £6,000 per year with a higher tier of £9,000 – nearly treble existing levels – if poorer students receive support. BBC.

So apart from the “deserving” poor our top Universities are going to be continued to be stuffed with Toff’s. And how long before the charges are raised? How many Universities will close as the number of students drop? Universities will become the preserve of the rich.

On the radio 4 a Tory activist was bemoaning the lack of a grammar schools policy in the Con-Dems manifestos.

However what the activist should have be happy with Free Schools these are but the Grammar Schools of the future – they are being set up in wealthy middle class areas so that wealthy middle class parents won’t have to send their kids to the local comprehensive – they’ll be outside local education authorities control, funded by central government and will set their own admissions policies.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what’s going to happen – local education authorities’ are going to be left with the difficult, disadvantaged and poor children – of course free schools will be successful they’ll be selecting the most able students – this is a disastrous policy for the future of our country.

There’s been a lot of talk about graduate tax – now I’m ambivalent over the proposal – mainly I fear the wealthy as often the case will avoid paying their fair share.

To my mind there are two ways to make sure the rich pay more and yes it’s a twofold attack on private schools. Private schools are over represented at our top universities – so those taking the best university places should pay more.

Now firstly let’s abolish their charitable status – as I’ve said many times there’s nothing charitable about educating rich kids.

Second is to tax on school fees with an educational supplement – if you pay for private education then you’re likely to be wealthy, can afford it and you’re kids are most likely going to have the advantage of the UK’s top universities.

I’m no economist and don’t have the figures to determine how much tax revenue might be raised – but it’s a start and is going to be paid by those of us most able to afford it.