Is Ruth Kelly a hypocryt?

[happy_Alex]

Kelly 'doing right thing' for son

Ruth Kelly was education secretary until May
Ex-Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has defended her decision to send her son, who has "substantial learning difficulties", to a private school.
She said she removed her son from a state school after professional advice recommended he be placed in a school "able to meet his particular needs".

Ms Kelly said the local authority accepted the advice, but she had not asked for any help in meeting the cost.

She said: "I, like any mother, want to do the right thing for my son."

"I appreciate that some will disagree with my decision. I understand why, but we all face difficult choices as parents."

I have not and will not seek the help of the local authority in meeting these costs


She said her three other children continued to be educated at state schools, and it had been her intention for her son to also continue in the state sector.

"The professional advice I received was that he needed specific specialist support as soon as possible."

He would remain at the £15,000-a-year private school for "a couple of years before he begins at a state secondary school".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6240165.stm

I know as a parent she has the right to send her child where she likes, but i feel she is setting a really bad example here. As education secratary and as Labour member she has been telling us that provision for special needs

a) is up to snuff in the state sector
b) are best provided for in mainstream schools ( I largely agree with this)

shouldn't she put her money where her mouth is and allow the needs of her child to be addressed by the Local Authority?

 

[downtown]

Its not uncommon here. The Superintendant for Columbus Public Schools sends her children to private high schools. Lots of politicians do that.

Not saying its wrong or right, just common

 

[Irish Caesar]

Without knowing details about her son and the options that public and private schools offer, I can't say. But if professional advice was to send him to private school, I'd be a jerk to criticize her for that.

 

[Bill3000]

What's a hypocryt? It surely is nothing like a hypocrite.

 

[Suppersalmon]

yes she should send her son to a private school but when she was education Secretary she should have done something to help with dyslexic pupils which i have heard on the news that her son is Dyslexic instead of helping to close specialist state schools

 

[Rossiya]

Yeah, she's a hypocryt, even if she was doing the right thing for her child.

 

[StarWorms]

Definitely a hypocrite. However I don't blame her for wanting the best for her son. What I do blame her for is her promoting many education schemes, saying they will be excellent for children when clearly they are not.

 

[Tycoon101]

Hypocritical? Somewhat, but not to the degree that is suggested by the OP. She is entirely able to send her children to private schools, and I support her decision completely.

 

[shortguy]

I don't know that her actions are hypocritical, but I think they certainly set a bad example.

For what it's worth, my dad is a high-ranking county public school official, and my brothers and I went to public school (though it's worth noting that there aren't really any good private choices nearby).

 

[JonnyB]

Since her other 3 children are all in public schools I have no problem with this. She's putting her son ahead of her PR department.

 

[Mega Tsunami]

Of course she is a hypocrite. She is a cabinet member who was recently Education Minister and during Labour’s time in power has presided over the closure of over 100 special needs schools, basically saying that normal state schools should be good enough for our dyslexic children. Now it appears that that which she has been instrumental in forcing upon us is just not good enough for her diddums.

I wouldn’t mind so much but her local special needs state school has been praised as being one of the best such schools in the country, and yet she still thinks it is not good enough for her child.
What a kick in the teeth this is for state schools in general and her local special needs school in particular. What a kick in the teeth for 10 years of Labour’s “educashun, educashun, educashun” policy.

We all understand the pull of doing the best for your kids, in which case she should have resigned her position as cabinet member and MP, admitting how she has failed us all. And then sent her kid to private school.

She couldn’t be more hypocritical in this matter if she tried.

 

[Adamb0mb]

She should be sending all of her children to private schools. At least in America the private school system is vastly superior to public schools.

I don't really know if she is a hypocrite but Mega Tsunami makes a good argument for her being a hypocrite.

 

[Mega Tsunami]

I just thought – if she resigned she would no longer be able to afford the £17,000 pa private school. But never mind she could then send her kid to the local, highly praised state special needs school for free.

 

[Tycoon101]

I just thought – if she resigned she would no longer be able to afford the £17,000 pa private school. But never mind she could then send her kid to the local, highly praised state special needs school for free.

And what is so wrong about sending her child to a private school? Maybe she feels that he would be better off in a private school because of issues that are not related to special needs or education? There are a number of factors that greatly favor private schools that many of you are ignoring.

 

[Mega Tsunami]

And what is so wrong about sending her child to a private school? Maybe she feels that he would be better off in a private school because of issues that are not related to special needs or education? There are a number of factors that greatly favor private schools that many of you are ignoring.

Why should her policies as Education Minister be good enough for us but not good enough for her?

You have to understand – this is the Labour party we are talking about here; a party that derides private schooling as being for Toffs and Tories and, as part of its policy, maintains state schooling should be good enough for all of us.
If you don’t understand internal British politics then you won’t properly appreciate the hypocrisy here.

 

[Abaddon]

her son can get better education via the private sector.. so why not?

 

[Mega Tsunami]

her son can get better education via the private sector.. so why not?

The local state schools do not not think so...

 

[Abaddon]

thats just because they are proud... all private schools get better results.. if they didnt they wouldnt even exhist.

 

[ComradeDavo]

The thing that most angers me about Ruth Kelly is that she's a fundie Catholic who hates homosexuality and pre-marital sex yet somehow got chosen for our friggin minister for equality Or 'minister for communities' as it is now called.

 

[downtown]

She should be sending all of her children to private schools. At least in America the private school system is vastly superior to public schools.

I don't really know if she is a hypocrite but Mega Tsunami makes a good argument for her being a hypocrite.

Not true, that depends on where you are. Private schools do not have the same certification qualifications that publics have, (for teachers and administrators), which means there are just as many pretty bad privates as there are publics. You don't have to even be a teacher, or have gone to college, to teach or run a private school, which is the case at many religious schools.

I don't know the specifics about this woman, but this is a controversy in America at least once in almost every city. Personally, I think the callings of a parent trump that of any politician...and if she is able to provide a better education for her kid, she's obligated to do so. Maybe he really hit it off with a few teachers at the private schools. Maybe there are social concerns. People switch schools all the time.

Actually, this made me think of my Mom, who had this controversy, in reverse. She actually runs a charter school, and caught some flack at work because she sent me and my two sisters to public school, instead of the one she works for. (The public school was waaaaay better). You shouldnt be obligated to send somebody to a certain place, just because you work there.