Education, Education, Education

It is comforting to observe that the Vicar of Downing Street has as little regard for his own family's privacy as for ours, at least provided that the harsh, intrusive light of a free press can help add a little extra glow to that slightly tarnished halo. It "emerged today", which I take to be journalese for "a press release is hereby transcribed to the effect", that his reverence's second son is to train as a teacher after graduating from Oxford in the summer. Clearly, noble self-sacrifice is a hereditary trait. He will join a programme called Teach First, which "was set up in the UK by private business five years ago to attract high flyers", though evidently not necessarily those who have reached their present heights under their own power. Teach First "recruits high-calibre students and trains them intensively to become teachers in challenging secondary schools in London, greater Manchester and the Midlands", according to its salestalk while confirming that Tony's Nicky has been accepted onto the programme. The programme's aim is "to address educational disadvantage" by putting participants through, among other things, "a leadership programme which has been developed by Teach First's business sponsors", doubtless with the intention of manufacturing well-rounded, cultured and civilised human resources. This healthy sense of priority is perhaps best indicated by the fact that about half of this year's graduates have given up teaching at the first opportunity and "have opted for alternative careers in the civil service and posts with top City firms such as KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers".