Education - Stonebow Primary School Loughborough

This evening I attended a soiree at my grandaughter's primary school in Loughborough. Now I am a sworn enemy of the education system in this country because I have seen it disappear downhill year on year so that nobody can possibly trust what is happening. Far too many children are being failed by the system leaving them unable to read or write but much worse they have no skills to take them into adult life.

The kids of today have no platform for advancement. They have little general knowledge and seem to have no idea of how to plan, organise, administer and achieve. Look at the amazingly successful TV programme 'The Apprentice'. These so called apprentices, many of them in their mid thirties for God's Sake, are frankly pretty useless and Alan Sugar has made a fortune from exposing their frailties. My generation would have viewed them as not much better than imbeciles. One of them has made the final after openly admitting that he lied on his CV. What does he have to do to be excluded?

But back to this evening... my granddaughter is seven... in new money that means she is in year two. She was the only pupil from year two to be allowed to participate in front of a packed house and she was brilliant! This little girl actually sang to her own guitar accompaniment and was the only one during the whole evening to do so. I am so proud of her.

The closing event I must admit almost had me in tears. The Stonebow choir conducted by a quite remarkable teacher Mrs Fines (spelling?)sang a Disney melody. The joy of performing for these kids was amazing. They were really enjoying their show and it was etched on so many faces. It takes a real talent to bring this out in children and it should be rewarded. In the midst was a young Asian girl.

Now I, like so many of my age group, totally resent the mass immigration which, in our minds, has ruined our country. We have so many examples of the adverse effect of mass immigration but I have to say that the joy, the competence, the expression of sheer commitment to her group from this one girl, made a massive impression on me.

Where does it all go wrong? Where does this evening of sheer endeavour and enjoyment supported by parents, staff and children disappear? How could anyone ruin the harmony that appeared at Stonebow Primary School this evening?

What made me emotional is that all those really happy kids have yet to enter the world created by Gordon Brown and our other politicians. They have yet,in their so innocent lives, been exposed to all the temptations which will come along but I tell you what; music has an amazing power of healing.

I know that 'Mrs Fines' has aleady been rewarded by a promotion to an under achieving school in the neighbourhood. She will do so well because she has presence. When she said 'shush' then they all 'shushed'. She should be promoted to a national job and her skills downloaded to all the prospective teachers of the future. I must ask this question. Why is this gem teaching in a backwater like Loughborough?

I'm sorry 'Mrs Fines' but you are too important to restrict your talents to Thorpe Acre but please don't finish there. Export the Stonebow Soiree nationally and you will create what most of us want for our children. We English are not stupid, we want for our children what we once had for ourselves. At the grass roots we still have the talent (amazingly) but our politicians are not rewarding or recognising it and you are what we want! Thank you for what you did for my grandaughter, Emma Aikman and Good Luck in the future.

PS If you can pass this on please do so.