Cameron’s refreshing honesty on schools

David Cameron has today told the News of the World that he is “terrified” about the prospect of sending his children to an inner-London state school. This is quite some statement, given how many tens of thousands of parents are in the same predicament. Isn’t it the classic politician’s error? To betray how his aloofness from voters by showing how he fears what ordinary parents have to put up with? That’s what Tony Blair thought – so he’d pretend to be happy with state schools while sending his kids to the ultra-selective Oratory School. That is hypocrisy.

What David Cameron has said represents honesty. After all, why shouldn’t he be terrified? As I say in my News of the World column today, the record is appalling. In inner city boroughs, just 41 per cent of boys achieved five A*-C GCSEs last year – markedly worse than the 48 per cent nationally.