I take issue with your leading article (26 January) in which it is argued that politicians should not be subject to criticism for sending their children to private schools.
Collectively, those in the government are responsible for controlling many services crucial to any modern society. The most important of these is education of our future workers, parents and leaders. It is therefore crucial that the service is of the very best quality possible. To do that we need a government that has a full understanding of the system from the perspective of the public.
If ministers feel so little confidence in the service they are responsible for that they opt their families out, it sends a clear message that they expect the population to tolerate a substandard service. Such a government is likely to fail to improve standards.
I have every respect for a politician’s right to a private family life. But it is not possible to ignore their personal judgment on their government’s ability to run schools and hospitals at acceptable standards. They expect us to entrust our futures to them; our leaders should show that they take this responsibly seriously and are able to fulfill it well enough for everybody.
