Are their really two ways ?
December 18th 2007 11:07
Seriously dad are their really two ways to run a school system ?
Interesting question from a child but its true, during the recent election it dawned on our family, (thanks kids) that we must be particularly silly people. There are a few really important structural things in society and a large number of smaller frilly bits.
The structural things like education, healthcare, roads, law and order. These are the perenial topics that our politicians tell us all about in 30 sec tv commercials and full page newspaper ads during a 6 week election campaign. We then, the educated public, make a decision about who we think should have a go at during what they think is best and then sit back and watch for the next 3 years.
But really is there more than one way to fix a problem? my dad always said there were 2 ways to do anything, the right way and the wrong way. In the little issues like protecting the last remaining 300 tree moths from the last gum tree on the left there may well be a number of ways to achieve an end result, but in a hospital surely you have enough doctors and nurses, with beds and medicines for patients and an orderly queue and bob's your uncle it works. What other way is there ?
With education you teach kids with teachers in class rooms and modern technology as it becomes viable. What other way is there ?
Police chase criminals and the guilty get punished, how much grey is there there ?
Okay so it does get complicated allocating money and making sure it is spread properly but who decides where it goes in the end, the politicians or the public service that process the requests. Of course the politician is in charge but the reality as yes minister clearly taught us was the unelected members of the public service have a greater say in the scheme of things. Not to say that is a bad thing as a process is a process.
If this election process is so successful why don't big companies do it, have elections every 3 years for the whole board. Take a look at one of the largest multi national corporations and ask the question do they have a compulsory referendum on two points of view every 3 years with the posibility of a complete change of board. Of course not, such instability would ruin the company in the market place.
So why is it such a good idea for a whole country ?
Interesting question from a child but its true, during the recent election it dawned on our family, (thanks kids) that we must be particularly silly people. There are a few really important structural things in society and a large number of smaller frilly bits.
The structural things like education, healthcare, roads, law and order. These are the perenial topics that our politicians tell us all about in 30 sec tv commercials and full page newspaper ads during a 6 week election campaign. We then, the educated public, make a decision about who we think should have a go at during what they think is best and then sit back and watch for the next 3 years.
But really is there more than one way to fix a problem? my dad always said there were 2 ways to do anything, the right way and the wrong way. In the little issues like protecting the last remaining 300 tree moths from the last gum tree on the left there may well be a number of ways to achieve an end result, but in a hospital surely you have enough doctors and nurses, with beds and medicines for patients and an orderly queue and bob's your uncle it works. What other way is there ?
With education you teach kids with teachers in class rooms and modern technology as it becomes viable. What other way is there ?
Police chase criminals and the guilty get punished, how much grey is there there ?
Okay so it does get complicated allocating money and making sure it is spread properly but who decides where it goes in the end, the politicians or the public service that process the requests. Of course the politician is in charge but the reality as yes minister clearly taught us was the unelected members of the public service have a greater say in the scheme of things. Not to say that is a bad thing as a process is a process.
If this election process is so successful why don't big companies do it, have elections every 3 years for the whole board. Take a look at one of the largest multi national corporations and ask the question do they have a compulsory referendum on two points of view every 3 years with the posibility of a complete change of board. Of course not, such instability would ruin the company in the market place.
So why is it such a good idea for a whole country ?
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