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"Richard" <> wrote:

>Chris Malcolm wrote:
>> In rec.photo.digital Richard <> wrote:
>>> Chris Malcolm wrote:
>>>> In rec.photo.digital Pete A <>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> President Eisenhower expressed shock when he heard that half of all
>>>>> Americans are of below-average intelligence.
>>>>
>>>> I forget which newly appointed British Minister for Education
>>>> reported the distressing fact that half of Britain's schoolchildren
>>>> were below average in reading and arithmetic and promised to do
>>>> something about it.
>>
>>> You made that up, didn't you?
>>
>> No, I misremembered it. It was Sir Keith Joseph, and his complaint was
>> that half were below average in mathematics.
>
>Link? Preferably not some vague "Many years ago Sir Keith Joseph is reported
>to have complained about the fact that half the children in UK schools were
>'below average' in mathematics."


That story had/has fairly wide currency among teachers but I believe
there is a lack of any contemporary record in print.

I would conclude that it is probably apocryphal, springing from
teachers' deep contempt for anyone with power or influence who dares
to articulate any criticism of their "profession".

Wasters, most of them.

Bruce wrote:
> "Richard" <> wrote:
>
>> Chris Malcolm wrote:
>>> In rec.photo.digital Richard <>
>>> wrote:
>>>> Chris Malcolm wrote:
>>>>> In rec.photo.digital Pete A <>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> President Eisenhower expressed shock when he heard that half of
>>>>>> all Americans are of below-average intelligence.
>>>>>
>>>>> I forget which newly appointed British Minister for Education
>>>>> reported the distressing fact that half of Britain's
>>>>> schoolchildren were below average in reading and arithmetic and
>>>>> promised to do something about it.
>>>
>>>> You made that up, didn't you?
>>>
>>> No, I misremembered it. It was Sir Keith Joseph, and his complaint
>>> was that half were below average in mathematics.
>>
>> Link? Preferably not some vague "Many years ago Sir Keith Joseph is
>> reported to have complained about the fact that half the children in
>> UK schools were 'below average' in mathematics."
>
>
> That story had/has fairly wide currency among teachers but I believe
> there is a lack of any contemporary record in print.
>
> I would conclude that it is probably apocryphal, springing from
> teachers' deep contempt for anyone with power or influence who dares
> to articulate any criticism of their "profession".
>
> Wasters, most of them.

Agreed.

In rec.photo.digital Bruce <> wrote:
> "Richard" <> wrote:
>>Chris Malcolm wrote:
>>> In rec.photo.digital Richard <> wrote:
>>>> Chris Malcolm wrote:
>>>>> In rec.photo.digital Pete A <>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> President Eisenhower expressed shock when he heard that half of all
>>>>>> Americans are of below-average intelligence.
>>>>>
>>>>> I forget which newly appointed British Minister for Education
>>>>> reported the distressing fact that half of Britain's schoolchildren
>>>>> were below average in reading and arithmetic and promised to do
>>>>> something about it.
>>>
>>>> You made that up, didn't you?
>>>
>>> No, I misremembered it. It was Sir Keith Joseph, and his complaint was
>>> that half were below average in mathematics.
>>
>>Link? Preferably not some vague "Many years ago Sir Keith Joseph is reported
>>to have complained about the fact that half the children in UK schools were
>>'below average' in mathematics."

> That story had/has fairly wide currency among teachers but I believe
> there is a lack of any contemporary record in print.

Since it was long before the web the search would have to be manual. I
can remember where on the left hand newspaper page I read it, but I
can't remember which newspaper or the date.

> I would conclude that it is probably apocryphal, springing from
> teachers' deep contempt for anyone with power or influence who dares
> to articulate any criticism of their "profession".

I guess someone might have misreported a public speech by KJ, but I'm
sure the wide currency among those old enough to have been reading
newspapers of the time is simply because a report did appear in
print. Whether it was an accurate report is another question.

--
Chris Malcolm

Chris Malcolm wrote:
> In rec.photo.digital Bruce <> wrote:
>> "Richard" <> wrote:
>>> Chris Malcolm wrote:
>>>> In rec.photo.digital Richard <>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> Chris Malcolm wrote:
>>>>>> In rec.photo.digital Pete A <>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> President Eisenhower expressed shock when he heard that half of
>>>>>>> all Americans are of below-average intelligence.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I forget which newly appointed British Minister for Education
>>>>>> reported the distressing fact that half of Britain's
>>>>>> schoolchildren were below average in reading and arithmetic and
>>>>>> promised to do something about it.
>>>>
>>>>> You made that up, didn't you?
>>>>
>>>> No, I misremembered it. It was Sir Keith Joseph, and his complaint
>>>> was that half were below average in mathematics.
>>>
>>> Link? Preferably not some vague "Many years ago Sir Keith Joseph is
>>> reported to have complained about the fact that half the children
>>> in UK schools were 'below average' in mathematics."
>
>> That story had/has fairly wide currency among teachers but I believe
>> there is a lack of any contemporary record in print.
>
> Since it was long before the web the search would have to be manual. I
> can remember where on the left hand newspaper page I read it, but I
> can't remember which newspaper or the date.
>
>> I would conclude that it is probably apocryphal, springing from
>> teachers' deep contempt for anyone with power or influence who dares
>> to articulate any criticism of their "profession".
>
> I guess someone might have misreported a public speech by KJ, but I'm
> sure the wide currency among those old enough to have been reading
> newspapers of the time is simply because a report did appear in
> print. Whether it was an accurate report is another question.

Kinda kicks the crap out of your original " newly appointed British Minister
for Education" false statement. But, hey, don't let little things like
integrity get in the way of an opportunity to slag someone off.

In rec.photo.digital Richard <> wrote:
> Chris Malcolm wrote:
>> In rec.photo.digital Bruce <> wrote:
>>> "Richard" <> wrote:
>>>> Chris Malcolm wrote:
>>>>> In rec.photo.digital Richard <>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> Chris Malcolm wrote:
>>>>>>> In rec.photo.digital Pete A <>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> President Eisenhower expressed shock when he heard that half of
>>>>>>>> all Americans are of below-average intelligence.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I forget which newly appointed British Minister for Education
>>>>>>> reported the distressing fact that half of Britain's
>>>>>>> schoolchildren were below average in reading and arithmetic and
>>>>>>> promised to do something about it.
>>>>>
>>>>>> You made that up, didn't you?
>>>>>
>>>>> No, I misremembered it. It was Sir Keith Joseph, and his complaint
>>>>> was that half were below average in mathematics.
>>>>
>>>> Link? Preferably not some vague "Many years ago Sir Keith Joseph is
>>>> reported to have complained about the fact that half the children
>>>> in UK schools were 'below average' in mathematics."
>>
>>> That story had/has fairly wide currency among teachers but I believe
>>> there is a lack of any contemporary record in print.
>>
>> Since it was long before the web the search would have to be manual. I
>> can remember where on the left hand newspaper page I read it, but I
>> can't remember which newspaper or the date.
>>
>>> I would conclude that it is probably apocryphal, springing from
>>> teachers' deep contempt for anyone with power or influence who dares
>>> to articulate any criticism of their "profession".
>>
>> I guess someone might have misreported a public speech by KJ, but I'm
>> sure the wide currency among those old enough to have been reading
>> newspapers of the time is simply because a report did appear in
>> print. Whether it was an accurate report is another question.

> Kinda kicks the crap out of your original " newly appointed British Minister
> for Education" false statement.

Are you too young to remember? He *was* the newly appointed Minister at
the time.

> But, hey, don't let little things like
> integrity get in the way of an opportunity to slag someone off.
>

I see no reason to follow your example.

--
Chris Malcolm