Longweekend, this is an argument about nothing, I acknowledge.

But someone of hicks' background and current circumstance, claiming he is "working class" - it's not a hard question for you.

He could not make the claim, but he persists.

John S wrote on Jan 25^th, 2011 at 10:34am:


How's that chip on your shoulder working out?

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 25^th, 2011 at 10:36am:





Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 25^th, 2011 at 10:39am:



Is it good Andrei can't debate anything so he has to put me down.

He think he is so smart cause he went to university and anyone that didn't go to university is dumb.

So tell me andrei why are you any better then me. I can add up numbers, you learn that in primary school

Andrei you want to get your head out of the book, you only learn the author side of things that way. Go and get some life experience looks like you have got any life experience at all.

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Jan 25^th, 2011 at 12:10pm:



I didn't say there was 'no difference', I said that the gap is not wide and that people often will use this as an excuse for their own failures.

The fact that of the management team I worked with in Melbourne I couldn't tell you who went to public and who went to private (aside from the head of legal who felt the need to drop in he went to Xavier College on every conversation) - pretty much highlights that it is people and not schools that succeed.

Whether LW likes it or not, my own family experiences underline this view.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 25^th, 2011 at 1:17pm:


The point still stands then that whether private or public the funding from the federal government should be equitable. Otherwise it defeats the idea that "each child deserves the same education support regardless of where they go."

I will also mention though that your "experience" is not exactly a great survey. Did you get a list of their schools? Otherwise, this small group of managers is hardly a great sample.  Not to mention that you are not some guru who can at the click of a finger distinguish who went where and did what; unless of course you have some stereotype of a public school educated person, in which case you do believe there to be a difference.  Like I said, I went to a public school which is considered a good public school.  There are however those schools out there that still lack the needed resources to actually get students to succeed regardless of how hard they try.

I know you think of yourself as someone who has struggled through life (just goes to show how loopy you really are) but there are people out there who just get closed doors, and no key will fit.  This needs to be fixed.

BTW, to save the extra reply, go re-read your own definition of 'working class' and perhaps understand that low-income earners still earn.

As if to highlight the divide I remember a cricket match I played in back in the early 1990s - the local comprehensives were sledging all the time about 'daddy's car' or 'the toffs don't like this' etc etc.

From the other side, kids from our school started singing 'your dad works for my dad' etc etc

Now are you really going to deny that society doesn't have a view of 'rich kids get this, this and this'??

Because those comments above don't happen in a vacuum - society creates the background for it.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 25^th, 2011 at 1:33pm:


Well considering you sat there in Melbourne trying to work out who went to public and who went to private only goes to show you have some stereotype that you use to distinguish between the two, meaning you ultimately do believe there to be a difference.  And if that's the case then your entire argument no longer stands true and you've once again been shown to not be a swing voter, but someone who just has an allegiance towards the party who put together the private school scheme that isn't working as it should.  Bravo. Not to mention again that if you don't believe there to be a difference then ultimately what's your problem to a review to make the system equitable for both?  ESPECIALLY if there is NO difference?

As for the rest, I don't want to sidetrack to that only to say that again, from your posts here it is quite evident you don't understand how circumstances can affect a person, and you clearly haven't had a life where you had to face difficulty.  That's something you should be very proud off, and realistically I congratulate you for having a lucky life.  All I can say however is don't use your own experiences to judge how others should live.

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Jan 25^th, 2011 at 1:39pm:


Not true, I retrospectively did it and like I said, honestly couldn't tell you who went where.
I could have a guess but I wouldn't be 100% correct, I may not even get 50%.

Hence the point, there is no difference. It is down to the individual.

Some of the dumbest kids at my school were sons of very wealthy, very connected individuals.
In fact one outright plank was the grandson of a Tory MP and Minister in Mrs Thatcher's Government.