Bigotry of low expectations

Even though Britain is the eighth highest spending nation when it comes to schools, the country does not even feature in the top 20 best performing countries in the world.

And Mr Peal makes another telling point – Britain has far fewer children from disadvantaged backgrounds in comparison to other countries. His intervention comes a week after the teaching unions showed their political muscularity by accusing the coalition of betraying the poor.

Yet, if Mr Peal is to be believed, the failures of policy are systemic and emanate from the 1960s when many Cabinet members – Education Secretary Michael Gove included – were not even born. His ideas for reform are also enlightening, and are likely to chime with those people who lament Yorkshire’s lingering presence at the foot of national league tables. He wants to create a culture that enables teachers to be more innovative rather than having their morale sapped by the “soft bigotry of low expectations”.

Mr Peal’s comments on classroom discipline are also striking, particularly the extent to which school staff are blamed for poor behaviour rather than the troublesome pupils in question. He says this is wrong as a breakdown in behavioural standards has fuelled the current malaise, and that miscreants should be punished to deter others from disrupting lessons.

Yet, while it would be remiss not to acknowledge all those teachers whose pupils are exceeding expectations in difficult circumstances, this contribution is a meritorious one for the simple reason that the status quo is not a credible policy for the future.

Hiatus over HS2: Skills key to Doncaster success

IT IS slightly disingenuous of the Institute of Economic Affairs to call for MPs to reject Britain’s HS2 rail revolution in a critical House of Commons vote tonight by citing poor levels of academic attainment in Doncaster. This think-tank claims that it will be even harder for young people to find work in a town where just 23 per cent of working age residents command basic qualifications in comparison to the national average of 35 per cent.

Yet the fact of the matter is that frequent East Coast train services between Doncaster and London have done little to help the future prospects of those people who do not possess many skills – or a strong work ethic.

As such, Doncaster’s priority should be developing an educated workforce so the town can make an even more persuasive case to those firms that want to relocate in South Yorkshire.

Furthermore, the IEA – and others – also need to remember that the construction of the HS2 line will free up capacity on existing routes like the East Coast Main Line.

If there are better rail links and more frequent services between Yorkshire’s major cities and towns, the aspiration of Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, who is genuinely committed to investing in the North’s infrastructure, these are likely to enhance the pool of jobs that might be suitable opportunities for Doncaster’s young people.

As such, today’s critiques by the IEA and the TaxPayers’ Alliance offer further reminders to Mr McLoughlin about the need to maintain the momentum on HS2, make a positive case for high-speed rail and keep costs under control.

Pilgrim’s progress: Two Popes – and two new saints

THIS was a moment of spiritual history like no other in the Roman Catholic Church’s history; two former pontiffs being elevated to sainthoods in a ceremony led by two living Popes – Francis and his predecessor, Benedict.

Yet, while there remains some unease about the canonisation of Pope John Paul II nine years after his death, and the failure of his papacy to tackle paedophile priests, he remains one of the great liberating figures of the 20th century for bringing about the collapse of Communism in his native Poland.

And it is already clear that Pope Francis is becoming one of the heroic figures of this century because of his uncanny ability to combine great humility with a recognition that his Church needs to move with the times on the great moral and social issues. The fact that one million pilgrims crowded into Vatican City was not just a celebration of the two new saints, but a reflection of the bond which now exists between Pope Francis and his believers.