Shirley Williams

Ok Riverwalk. Which posh school did they go to? Eton? Harrow? Roedean?

What a shame that an opportunity to give our view of Sirley Williams's career should be reduced to that tired argument about state v fee paying schools, especially in fact out of context.
Did you not spot J52's post?

Shirley William's daughter attended Godolphin and Latymer girls Voluntry Aided grammar school, in Hammersmith. It was not fee paying, but girls had to pass the 11+ and an entrance exam

Shirley Williams was fiercely brainy and I do not find it at all odd that she sent her daughter to a good grammar school.
Tony Benn did send his children to Holland Park Comprehensive (a very middle class comp ) at secondary level, but Hilary at least, went to Westminster School Prep.

Does it diminish anybody as a politician?
I don't think so.

I agree Alea.

Regarding the schooling of politicians children, can I assume those who think giving one's child the best available schooling whilst at the same time trying to better schooling for all is hypocritical then these same critics would if working to help the hungry would not feed their own children?

I was educated at a Grammar school in Glasgow it was and still is one of Scotland's top fee paying schools....

I do not wish to extend the tangent of the school debate, but just to add: if you passed your 11+ in those days and in that area of London, the VA grammar school ( of which there were several) or Direct Grant entry to a fee paying school, were the usual routes to take.

x

Diane Abbot has had a lot of flak on GN for not sending her child to the local comprehensive.

I don't dislike Shirley Williams - I've met her. I'm wondering why the difference in attitude to her choice when compared to Diane Abbot.

Godolphin & Latymer and Holland Park schools are about 1.5 miles apart so if she'd really been a believer in comprehensive education Williams had a local choice.

Williams was very influential in educational matters and an active campaigner to abolish grammar schools!

I agree its daft to let an argument about the extremely confused terminology regarding schools derail what is generally a thread in praise of Shirley Williams. She just seemed to have an integrity and intelligence that we need right now. I hope she has a well deserved retirement.

I was thinking exactly the same Riverwalk about the different attitudes towards Shirley Williams and Diane Abbott.

I agreed with the campaign to abolish grammar schools and, since it was SW who was instrumental in bringing this about, I think she should have practised what she preached. Though I didn't agree with Diane Abbott's decision to privately educate her son, I think those who say that a person's own principles should not dictate the decisions they make in relation to their own family shouldn't really complain about her choice either.

Shirley Williams comes across as very pleasant and sensible but I don't trust her judgment. She was instrumental in persuading the House of Lords to pass the Health & Social Care Bill, allaying fears that the bill made it easier for the NHS to be privatised. Many people believe that she got that wrong.

I think to be a Public School, a school had to belong to the Headmaster's Conference, now the Headmasters & Headmistresses Conference. The remaining private schools were just that - private schools. The term 'public school' went out of use about 20 years ago, they all just describe themselves as independent schools these days.

I have tremendous respect for Shirley Williams. Political life is loosing a humane and honest politician - and there are few enough of them about today.

Riverwalk although Holland Park school may look close to Godolphin and Latymer on a map, it might not have been easy to get to, across London. Those were the days when many of us travelled to school on our own.

I was educated in the same area, at roughly the same time and as I said earlier, you passed the 11+ and then hopefully got into one of the local grammar schools. There was a choice of several, all single gender, of course.

Holland Park was opened in 1958, all very new and an unknown quantity. I doubt if any of my friend's parents would have considered it. Even those who lived in Holland Park Ave.

X

Shirley Williams must be one of the most admired politicians of our times. She has also been
tremendously hard working and enthususiastic as we found when canvassing with her for the LibDems. People who met her were truly impressed by her rationality and sincerity.

She is genuine - such a huge contrast to the untrustworthy PR-driven scoundrels who have been elected and done such harm to our country - Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and now the ghastly Nicola Sturgeon.

At 85 Shirley deserves to ease off and we should all, whether we agree with her or not, wish her a long and happy retirement.

I know this thread isn't supposed to be about schools, but just wanted to add that when Godolphin and Latymer became a fee-paying school in the mid-1970s, Shirley Williams moved her daughter to Camden High School for Girls, which was a comprehensive.