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No Free Schools in Cornwall

Graham Smith | 10:02 UK time, Monday, 6 September 2010

The Department for Education tells me none of the 16 "Free Schools" to be announced by way of Written Answer in Parliament today is in Cornwall. None in Devon either.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    Michael Gove should holiday in Cornwall rather than Sweden where this idea comes from, the only problem in schools is political interference, schools should concentrate on core skills rather than teaching children how to pass a meaningless exam

  • Comment number 2.

    Well, the "Free" schools will be less subject to political interference. We hope.

  • Comment number 3.

    I would have thought the only reason to create a free school is because you hold a politic stance.

  • Comment number 4.

    Your blog is entitled - rather grandly and egotistically - 'Graham Smith's Cornwall'.
    Your mention of Devon is, logically, therefore both gratuitous and irrelevant and consciously inserted by design to give a false notion of territorial equivalence - yet another indicator of your Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Úlone Anglo-Imperialist-Assimilationist mindset.

  • Comment number 5.

    I don't know how it can be a political stance to believe in Free Schools. If it is, then two thirds of the main stream political parties appear to be in favour. There is, of course, nothing to stop the Cornish nationalists from setting up their own. What an opportunity!

  • Comment number 6.

    Better better, BofanE, if Cornwall Council actually introduced a National Curriculum from The Celtic Nation And Duchy Of Cornwall in all of the schools of Cornwall & Scilly, don't you think? Then our children (and teachers!)might actually better know and understand the place where they live.

    What a marvellous spring board for such a Cornish National Curriculum is this? :

  • Comment number 7.

    "Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Úlone Anglo-Imperialist-Assimilationist"

    Oh Dear! Perhaps Mr Smith believes that Cornwall & Devon should co-operate when it is to their mutual advantage. Under the new government they can choose to do so; they are not forced into anything. But, I suppose if you are a Western Ghetto-ist this is not to your taste!

  • Comment number 8.

    You do like a laugh, BofanE.

    Who could possibly object to co-operation between England or parts thereof and The Celtic Nation And Duchy Of Cornwall. That's what we are all looking for in healthy and mutually beneficial international relations isn't it?

    The title of Mr Smith's piece is 'No Free Schools in Cornwall'.

    What goes on in England or a bit of it has nothing to do with Mr Smith's subject.

  • Comment number 9.

    "If Cornwall Council actually introduced a National Curriculum from The Celtic Nation And Duchy Of Cornwall in all of the schools of Cornwall & Scilly, don't you think?"

    "Myth and Legend" Perhaps?

  • Comment number 10.

    Or "Peyton Place"?

  • Comment number 11.

    "Angarrack's Agenda"?

  • Comment number 12.

    It's always clear where you're coming from, Slimslad. Perhaps your enthusiasms would be more fruitfully expended on affairs over in the land of the Turkish Dragon Stabber by rejoining your soulmates at

  • Comment number 13.

    "Celtic League Curriculum"?

    Or...

    In K.K.

    Keltic League Kurriculum"

  • Comment number 14.

    The Free Schools are an attempt to break free from local authority control. So the Cornwall Council imposing Cornish History would be ineffective. Why don't the Cornish Nationalists start their own Free Schools?

  • Comment number 15.

    The inevitable reference back to the fascists, AccurateChronometer.?
    I think your Duchy, Celtic Nation and references to the "Celtic gene", lend themselves more to the eugenics of the 1930's?
    You are British, as all in Britain are.

  • Comment number 16.

    Isn't it a shame that some people are unable to debate one of the most vital topics for the vast majority in the UK "education" A disgraceful attempt to hijack a blog with a personal bitterness? We are guests here try showing a little reverence.

  • Comment number 17.

    Slimslad - you do appear determined to denigrate all things Cornish.
    There is no reason at all why any Cornish Curriculum that explores and arises from the rich tapestry of Cornish endeavour in science, exploration, public service, invention, engineering, the arts etc etc etc that can be found here:

    should have any political character or bias at all.

    In fact it's a great mystery why the story of Cornwall & Scilly is not at the heart and the foundation of education in Cornwall & Scilly.

    The lack of that reeks of the kind of sly, vicious and orchestrated cultural denial that went on in the other Celtic Nations of these islands in times and now, more happily, long gone.

  • Comment number 18.

    "Why don't the Cornish Nationalists start their own Free Schools?"

    I would bet that question will never get an honest answer, backofanenvelope.

  • Comment number 19.

    He started it, Andrew Jacks!

    But, seriously, children need to have the "3r's" as standard.

    Yes, learn Cornish. But that won't get them very far, in any direction,in Britain or abroad.

  • Comment number 20.

    "The lack of that reeks of the kind of sly, vicious and orchestrated cultural denial that went on in the other Celtic Nations of these islands in times and now, more happily, long gone."

    Cornwall denied?. Not even sure that Wales, Scotland and Ireland,(yes, and Isle of Man), were ever denied. All were, at one time or another, victorious, defeated, conquerors, conquered, winners and losers.It is called history.

  • Comment number 21.

    You don't appear to know very much about what actually went on, Slimslad.

    As recetly as the 1950s children who spoke Welsh or with 'too strong' a Welsh dialect in Welsh schools were put in the corner with a dunce's cap on their heads.

    In the West of Scotland it took years to get full recognition of Gaelic as a respected National language and to persuade the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú to set up broadcasting in Gaelic. A similar sequence of events applied in Wales.

    In that historical context the contrived obstruction and denial to Cornish children of a fully developed sense of place and culture appears distinctly old fashioned, suppressive and oppressive.

  • Comment number 22.

    I do not have a problem with Cornish nationalism but please leave the children out of it. The Cornish children already start with a massive disadvantage without being led up the path of thinking speaking an extinct language or invented history is going to help them

    The followers of Peyton's encoding should go away and plot and scheme, protest outside the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú, but leave the children out of this, I personally would not allow such people near our children

    Let them concentrate on mastering the three R's.

  • Comment number 23.

    You don't have to worry Mr Tregantle; the Cornish nationalists won't take up the challenge and try and start up Cornish Free Schools for several good reasons. The most important is that, like all the UK nationalist parties, they are socialists.

  • Comment number 24.

    More Marxism which is very good on paper but really poor in practice, change should evolve not be imposed

  • Comment number 25.

    It appears, Slimslad/BofanE,that, based on what you've been writing here that you'll logically consistently be having to argue for the removal of 1066 'and all that' and all other culturally affirmative aspects of the story of England from the schools curriculum over there in England.

    Off you go:


    Let us all know how you get on with your 3 Rs only and ignore the rest suggestions...

  • Comment number 26.

    backofanenvelope I think they are whatever Peyton tells them to be, breaking the chains has become little red book to em

  • Comment number 27.

    So, Peter 'Tregantle'.
    Are you saying the children of Cornwall & Scilly should be denied knowledge of the story of Cornwall as set in this official chronological record:

    and they and their teachers should be told just to 'concentrate on mastering the three R's' ?

  • Comment number 28.

    The world is mind boggling big when you look at it compared to Cornwall. Cornwall is an irrelevant dot on world history. History that matters happens at grander levels than an English county town halls, stop thinking any of them doctored fairy stories you linked matter in the grand scheme of things you are operating on a microscopic level. School children need to learn world history not political propaganda, next you will tell be St Pirans flag has always been the flag of Cornwall, stick to Peyton's scriptures of make believe and leave history to true historians who are open minded

    During the week I saw a school in Liverpool learning Chinese now that’s moving with the times.

  • Comment number 29.

    How about sharing your restricted and restrictive point of view with all those other nations with populations less than 500,000, Peter 'Tregantle'?

    It appears 'diversity' is not your thing.

    You have set yourself quite a challenge, though. You clearly like to think BIG.

    How about moving on from your rather unambitious self-appointed challenge of assimilating and eliminating The Celtic Nation And Duchy Of Cornwall as a distinct and separate territorial and cultural entity and putting the case for the assimilation of your favourite place 'England' into Europe and the elimination of its minority 'culture' within that context. And then....the WORLD!
    Here's a good place to start:

    Good luck!
    Let us know how you get on...

  • Comment number 30.

    Fighting fellow Cornish people achieves the exact opposite of what you want AccurateChronometer. If you do not have the skill to reason judiciously without making enemies then your comments are a waste of effort. You are starting to come across as a person to mock rather than reason with, I honestly can not see what is to be gained operating as you are. Are you some form of double agent?

    Peter has mentioned people in Liverpool learning Chinese, he shattered your insular view of the world without having to spell it out in a manner you are able to assimilate. You need to read the comments made rather than seeking enemies, because you are making yourself into the enemy and a person to ridicule and that will achieve nothing

  • Comment number 31.

    Ah, 'Andrew Jacks' now assumes the 'Voice of Reason' role.

    Everything AC wrote above was a logical extrapolation from the starting points offered by 'Peter Tregantle' and 'backofanenvelope'.

  • Comment number 32.

    It's rather a shame you find the voice reason such an incongruous place to be AC, without reason you can not have a society, just millions of selfish people on the make and then how are you going to get anyone to vote for you?

  • Comment number 33.

    AccurateChronometer is entirely at ease with logic and reason.
    The next part of your sentence appears to be stating the obvious.
    The last part seems to have no connection at all with the topic under discussion.
    AccurateChronometer isn't looking for votes.
    AccurateChronometer wants one of equal value.
    And the main recent conversation on that subject on Mr Smith's 'blog' appears to be here:
    /blogs/grahamsmith/2010/09/the_leisurely_pursuit_of_secon.html

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