There was an inspiring report on the Today Programme this morning [18/03/2010] from Kevin Connolly about how people in Harlem, New York are turning their own schools around, with the aim of “giving poor kids everything that rich kids expect”.
It really should be compulsory listening for all UK voters in the run-up to the election.

Stateless
The schools are strict. They have long days, lots of homework, and strict dress codes. And it’s the schools and the people who are setting these standards, and taking care of their children. Not the state.

Fee-paying
One school even sends its pupils out to work one day a week, with their wages helping fund the school.

Some key quotes from the New Yorkers who were interviewed for the programme:

• You get competition – competition of ideas, competition of models, with a very rigorous demanding set of principles.
• Where you have only one centralised idea being propagated by government, you lose the dynamism.
• We don’t have time to wait for the state.
• It’s not about the state. It’s about us.

Amen to that.