[thechat] Jan 18 peace march

[Martin Burns]

On Tue, 21 Jan 2003, aardvark wrote:

> > From: Martin Burns <martin at easyweb.co.uk>
> >
> > > > Public-school teachers should be the highest-paid people on the
> > > > planet.
> > >
> > > i would agree with that if they were required to have a minimum of
> > > skills as well, but until they stop letting anyone teach our youth,
> > > i'm not buying it...
> > >
> > > now, if they *do* raise wages to that level, i would only support if
> > > there were all-around tests to make sure dolts don't get in...
> >
> > Or alternatively, let market forces sort it out as it does for other
> > high-paying professions.
>
> but that would mean privatizing it,

Nope. Not necessarily. In the UK, the medical profession is well paid and
(still largely) non-privatised. Competition is fierce to get into the
limited places available in medical schools.

If you have a limited supply of entry places to a high demand profession,
and the currency of entry is not money, then it'll come down to talent.

> instead, people freak out when coca cola buys exclusive rights to
> sell to a school cafeteria audience, even though it puts much needed
> money in the public school coffers...

Not sure that 'Coca-Cola = endorsed quality" is a good health education
message.

Cheers
Martin>

--
"Names, once they are in common use, quickly
 become mere sounds, their etymology being
 buried, like so many of the earth's marvels,
 beneath the dust of habit." - Salman Rushdie