All Must Have Prizes Paperback – February, 1998

Melanie Phillips is right about a lot of things: the culture of egalitarian equal outcomes of state education in Britain has blighted the lives of a generation, afflicting pupils of all abilities (undoubtedly - ever since Anthony Crossland declared he wanted to 'destroy ever f**king grammar school in England'). Family breakdown causes emotional disturbance in children and adults (er, with you there Mel). Pupils need to learn proper grammar usage in order to read and write and speak properly (of course). Trendy lefty educationalists, often the people who have either never been in a classroom, or couldn't cope with teaching. are ruining the schooling system (definitely).However you can glean all this by reading the chapter headings. I read the book and was remarkably uninspired by the tedious, biscuit dry, hectoring prose. Come on Melanie - if you are so intelligent and highly calibrated yourself - show off some fireworks and write a masterpiece along the lines of the great educationalist Allan Bloom's 'Closing of the American Mind' which really investigates the mediocrity of the modern soul. Not this single dimensional, hyperbolic diatribe, which will provide succour to the wide lawns and narrow minds class of Middle England, but not much else.

This book should be required reading for every teacher (whether at school or college) and politican in the country. It should also be read by anyone who is interested in, worried by, or cares for, our society. It should most of all be read by parents. The evidence the author presents is truly shocking in places. She explains the background to the current educational mess concisely and wisely.For anyone who doubts the value of this book, I would say, just watch the constant dumbing down that goes hand in hand with our failed education system. Once you've read it, you'll understand why!I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Shouldn't one actually say why, one thinks someone's book is "rubbish", rather than just "expressing one's sentiments. I have yet to read Melanie Phillips book but I did hear her interviewed on radio and she was rational, reasoned and fairminded in her criticisms of the abandonment of standards in contemporary schooling. I'd give Phillips and open minded read.

More nonsense from Ms Phillips, who seems to like pontificating in ignorance. Perhaps it's because people buy her rubbish. Or at least people abroad do. In Britain, of course, we KNOW it bears no relation to reality.As for the other reviewers, well, Whitepride's very name says it all.

Profoundly 'educational' read! It tels the story of how the educational 'establishment' has been systematically infliltrated down the past 4-5 decades by 'progressives' who think to 'teach' children is bad for them! Yup...no maths worth a fraction, and english grammar?..load of useless stuff labelled 'boring'. Oh and History? Forget it, they've re-written it to be 'relevant'....I recommend this book wholeheartedly. You'll no longer wonder why it keeps being reported that there are upwards of 15 million 'functionally illiterate' people in uk. Back in 1984 on a visit to a school I sat in on a maths lesson and asked the teacher why she wasn't 'teaching' using the (oops) white-board. She replied that if an 'HMI' caught her doing whole-class teaching she would be remrimanded by the headmaster. I kid you not and its all there in this book. She said the children would "learn at their own pace". I replied if I had been allowed to learn at my own pace I'd have learnt absolutely nothing...

This book was written around 15 years ago; what was true then is, undoubtedly, worse now and we have apparently learnt little by it, for political - or politically correct - reasons more than good sense. The concept behind the view that all must have prizes is an alternative form of paternalism or patronage as well as a genuine desire that the less able should be protected from the consequences of not being able to win prizes based on competition of one sort or another. When I was at secondary school, there were two prizes awarded annually to each year and I won them both two years running, but was told that my scripture prize was to be awarded to someones else in the interest of fairness: the year was 1964 and I saw no problem with this and was glad to agree that this was the right thing to do. Prizes are offered and won for all kinds of reasons and not always fairly; most children accept this at an early date and compete, if at all, because they enjoy the task, if not the competition. It is only when the culture changed from play up and play the game to winning is everything that losing became a problem. The trouble is when education is deamed to be a game of chance, where excellence, prowess or innate ability is considered harmful to those who are less blessed and have to work harder, or worse, simply give up. We don't need prize winners we need knowledge and competence, expertise that is worthy of merit and can be learned by those who will commit themselves to learning: as Melanie Phillips implies, we have largely stopped teaching in an effort to raise self-esteem and bolster egos, our own and too many unfortunate enough to suffer the worst defects of our current education system. For anyone interested in education, this book is worth reading and may help to make a change for the better rather than more of the same under a different banner.

Interesting book with some good points. A bit lengthy at times and slightly dated in some places but overall a good, thought-provoking, well written book.

Melanie Phillips writes fearlessly and with great common sense.It should be compulsory reading for all those in positions of authority and influence.

I did not need to read this book to know that standards across the UK education system have slipped dramatically. What this book does to devastating effect is to explain how this state affairs has arisen and why. Most interestingly, the author apportions equal blame to Thatcher et al as to the 'social-liberal left', which gives the lie to the slurs made against her of being a right-wing ideologue.The text is well written and the arguments are consistent and logical. Where I disagree with Philips, is her assertion that children require to be taught Shakespeare and other 'cultured' literature. I was forced to endure this at high school and did not pick up a book for pleasure for a full ten years as a result.In summary, if you want to know why our education system is in tatters then read this great book.

Condition very much as advertised. Excellent value for money.

I feel very lucky to have found a hard copy of this book in excellent condition at such a ridiculously low price!! Fantastic service, prompt delivery and excellent quality! Highly recommended. Thank you very much! :)

very insightful.