James Clerk Maxwell, a Scot, was one of the world's top scientists. He identified and wrote the equations of the electromagnetic field. That made possible the mobile phone, satellite communications, radio and television.
Americans are worried that their education system is no longer producing enough inventors like Thomas Edison.
Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.
"Nearly all his childhood learning took place at home." (The Education of Thomas Edison )
Jonas Salk, who invented the polio vaccine, did not attend an ordinary sate school.
He attended Townsend Harris School, a school for intellectually gifted students. (High school)
Sergey Brin, of Google, attended a Montessori School, which is not like a state school. (The Story of Sergey Brin )
Sergey Brin
In the USA, and in the UK, the state school systems have been damaged by the Stalinist bureaucrats.
According to Newsweek (Zakaria: Can America Still Innovate?.), in the USA, "the education system has continued to decline...
"We got talent from abroad to mask the erosion at home."
Newsweek tells us: "Today California builds prisons, but not college campuses. In 1976 it spent 18 percent of its budget on education; that figure now is about 10 percent."
Now there is Good News!
Robert watson-Watt, the inventor of radar, was Scottish.
One country may be about to hit the bureaucrats.
In Scotland, the Scottish National Party has threatened to take control of schools away from useless local education authorities.
Just think about that: schools may be allowed to start improving!
Scotland used to have a world famous education system.
But Labour controlled local education authorities have helped to ruin many schools.
According to a think tank: Scottish pupils are falling behind their English counterparts despite taxpayers spending an extra £1,400 per child.
Alexander Fleming was Scottish.
According to an article about UK schools in Scotland on Sunday, 9 September 2007, (Alexander attacks 'bloated' education authorities) one in every four pounds of education funding never makes it to schools.
Studies show that of the average £5,160 spent on a child's education annually, £1,700 is swallowed up by local government.
What is needed is schools that are more independent of government.
We could learn from the Netherlands, when it comes to the organisation of schools.
In the Netherlands 70% of children are educated in private schools at the taxpayers' expense.
In the Netherlands, state spending on education is lower per head than in Britain, and results are better. (Schools unchained)
If Scotland's SNP government give more money to headmasters, these headmasters can employ more teachers.
When, in the past, the SNP government has given money to local education authorities, much of the money has been wasted.
James Watt was Scottish
There has been a row about education in Scotland.
Education secretary Fiona Hyslop, of the SNP, singled out Labour dominated Glasgow City Council for "deliberately" refusing to meet the class-size target.
Glasgow City Council alone is responsible for more than a quarter of the fall in teacher numbers.
Hyslop said: "For one authority among 32 councils to account for such a huge drop is deplorable.
"What is truly shocking is that Glasgow City Council has increased class sizes and cut teacher numbers at exactly the same time as figures for attainment show they are the worst-performing council in Scotland.
"To slash teacher numbers at the same time as attainment is falling is an act of reckless disregard for the interests of children."
Scotsman John Boyd Dunlop invented the inflated rubber tyre.
Hyslop is to hold talks with councils.
She said: "we will discuss how best to establish where the estimated £110m that could have been spent on teacher salaries has been spent ... and whether the Scottish Government needs to examine alternatives to the current system of local government delivery of education policy."
Ronnie Smith, general secretary of Scotland's biggest teaching union, the EIS, said: "Local authorities ... are failing to meet their obligations to our schools, pupils and teachers."
Schools run by local education authorities have a poor record.
In England, the 7 % who go to non-local education authority schools collected 40.2 % of A grades scored at A level in 2004.
The 7 % who go to non local-authority schools collected 45.7 % of the A grades in maths and 60 % of the A grades in modern languages. (Private v state: discipline and disruptive pupils)
John Logie Baird was Scottish
So, how should schools be organised?
1. Give pupils a choice of schools.
This means there must be lots of small schools of different types.
All schools should be tiny.
The big schools should be broken up.
2. Give headmasters and teachers the right to exclude pupils who are disruptive.
3. Set up special schools that give intensive care (very expensive) to the disruptive children.
4. Set up top quality schools that cater for the less academic kids.
There are parents and children who want such schools - so long as they are well run, and do not become dumping grounds for the disruptive children.
Alexander Graham Bell was Scottish
5. Lower the school leaving age and shorten the school day.
This will mean children will learn more.
That is the paradox.
6. Sack the bureaucrats.
According to an article about UK schools in Scotland on Sunday, 9 September 2007, (Alexander attacks 'bloated' education authorities) one in every four pounds of education funding never makes it to schools.
Studies show that of the average £5,160 spent on a child's education annually, £1,700 is swallowed up by local government.
Lord Kelvin, a Scot, played key roles in everything from thermodynamics and electric lighting to transatlantic telecommunication and the age of the Sun.
It is time to close down the "bloated" education authorities. Get rid of the government bureaucrats, both local and national. Sack the education chiefs. It is these folks who have helped to ruin British schools.
