The proportion of middle class children going to university has grown under Labour:

So charging loads of money for students to go to university has increased the proportion of middle class children going to university. Who'd've thunk it?! After all, when it's going to cost so much, many "working class" people would prefer to just earn now. Especially considering the devaluing of the worth of a degree and the continual rise in the cost of getting one.

Middle class parents will be far more willing and able to financially support their offspring, and the extra loan that those whose parents don't earn much can get doesn't really help - since it has to be paid back as well.

So Labour have driven an increase in the middle-class domination of universities. Most certainly not what they had in mind.

Cross-posted at Educational Conscription

The hunting ban forced through by Labour in 2005 now lies in tatters as "a judge suggested it was virtually impossible to bring a conviction against those accused of breaking the law." This is because

So, even despite Labour's attempt to ban fox hunting as part of their class war, they have failed due to their inability to properly define their law.

They have failed on every level, neither have they actually made hunting illegal or reduced the number do hunt - in fact the very opposite. The Hunting Act has failed to save any cute little foxes or to stop toffs parading in red jackets.

Very simply, it is a rubbish law poorly executed and has failed as comprehensively as ASBOs have - neither have done what the government wanted, and in fact caused the exact opposite.

Source: The Telegraph

... hence I'm middle-class?

I'm amazed by the huge difference - richest fifth cycling 2½ times as far as the poorest fifth! It's quite shocking. Why don't "poor" people cycle? I wouldn't have thought that the possibility of being considered "socially inferior" would prevent people from cycling. It seems absurd to me. Cycling is an efficient, healthy, and environmentally friendly form of transport.

I cycle everywhere. I have to. I can't drive [and couldn't afford a car anyway] and hate the inefficiency, expense, and general crapness of public transport. Thus the only choice I have is to walk or cycle - and walking takes too long.

Gender is not the real classroom divide, claims Equal Opportunities Commission:

In fact, they say that instead of helping to narrow to gap
So, predictably, it's class [and race] that is the source of all inequality:
Except, really, it's not because of their class or race that certain kids fall behind, it is either because they are not as intelligent as others or because they don't put the work in.

Class, race, and gender are not the real classroom divides. Ability and application are. This may be reflected along gender, race, and class lines, because they don't exist because of them. They are a symptom, not a cause. Instead of trying to focus on one group, however defined, it would be far better to encourage all school children to work harder, and to encourage their parents to encourage them as well.

General ability and the extent to which that is applied to school work are the divides within the classroom. Nothing else causes them, but they can be seen as areas where extra work needs to be done in order for them to reach their potential. It's not because they are working class, male, or black that are low in the class, but because they either don't have the ability and/or aren't applying it.

Source: The Times

Chavs, described in the urban dictionary as a "sub species of human," among other things, such as a "burdon [sic] on society" are the young of those who tend to live their lives on the dole, and wear clothes such as Burberry to mark them out from the crowd.

I personally love the idea of the "chav hunt" video. It's brilliant! Such a great comparison between traditional and modern Britain. Showing huntsmen on horseback hunting down chavs, the video, made by alumni from a Scottish public school, was on YouTube but has since been removed - but is available to watch via the BBC. It is very very clever and also extremely funny. It is neither offensive or any more immature than most comedy programmes that dominate the TV schedules nowadays. In fact, I find shows such as My Family more offensive and immature than this video - and we pay for that through the TV licence!

Nobody, bar chavs, likes chavs. It is generally considered an extremely damning insult to refer to someone as a chav. They are the new underclass in the UK - more through their own efforts than anyone else's, too, since they tend not to work or contribute to society in any way.

I am also, apparently 27% chav [via Ordovicious].

UPDATE: Caroline Hunt has a different angle and the full video.

Social engineering is live and well in our schools under Labour:

"Middle-class teenagers are being turned into "whipping boys" as ministers discriminate against them in favour of students from poor homes, teachers warned.
Education is being "dumbed down" as universities turn their attention towards easy subjects like surfing studies, beauty therapy and knitwear to attract more working-class students, it is claimed.
In a fierce attack, the Professional Association of Teachers called for the Government to halt its drive towards so-called "social engineering"." (The Telegraph)

The education system has been dumbed down under Labour, and they want to ruin it even more. Aside from the educational conscription plans to have all teenagers stay at school until they are 18, which I have written about plenty, they now have another stupid plan - making students declare whether or not their parents have degrees when they apply to university.

This is a disgusting, sickening, attempt at social engineering in our universities. What possible relevance to my education does it have whether my parents have degrees or not? Technically, only one of my parents does - the teaching certificate my mother took was not a degree then, though it has become so since. But how does that make any difference to my education?! None. What it is is simply an attempt by this "class-warrior" government to make discriminate against the middle class.

The BBC article has this line in it:

"The government says it "makes no apologies" for giving poorer children more chances to succeed."

Well it fucking well should. Children should not be discriminated against because their parents happen to be "middle class", and there shouldn't be any "positive" discrimination for those who have "working class" parents. What they are also implying is that the working class are thick and thus need more chances to be able to succeed, which is hardly an enlightened view.

The Professional Association of Teachers conference passed a motion demanding that the government "stop interfering in educational life chances for our young people with attempts at social engineering" - and they are completely right. Keep your grubby hands out of our schools, Balls.

Sources: The Telegraph, BBC