Prime Minister Tony Blair was accused of showing “an astonishing lack of confidence” in the British state education system on Thursday after it was revealed his sons have been receiving extra tuition from masters at one of Britain’s best private schools.
Mr Blair reportedly contracted teachers at the prestigious Westminster School to boost the examination chances of his sons Euan, 18, and Nicky, 16. The disclosure is particularly embarrassing following as it does comments made by Labour MP and Leader of the Commons, Robin Cook, that the Conservatives could not talk about state schools when their leader Iain Duncan Smith has a son at Eton.
The government is currently under pressure over its failure to improve state secondary schools. “If the prime minister, who sends his children to excellent state schools, finds it necessary to go to private tutors than it shows the problems we face in terms of quality of teaching in London,” said David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers.
They were sentiments echoed by school inspectorate’s Chris Woodhead. “I think what stinks is the pious pretence that all is well with the state sector when in fact he is buying tuition for his own children even though he has got them into one of the best schools in the capital.”
Downing Street has not denied the report. And although the Blairs are particularly protective of their children - in the past taking cases of intrusion to the Press Complaints Commission – the prime minister’s office says there are no plans to lodge a complaint on this occasion.
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