Is the Isle of Wight an "inbred, poor, white ghetto'?

[Rovinghawk]

The Crack Fox said:

Some people can't help being poor, y'know.

True. So where's the harm in calling them poor? Some people can't help being tall- should we prevent people from describing them as such?

[mike9009]

Rovinghawk said:

mike9009 said:

The chairman of OFSTED does have a real problem with education on the island

So does the IOW.

mike9009 said:

The racist slur

Rather than racist, I'd call it descriptive. It is accurate and not derogatory.

I accept within my post that the island has a problem with its education system. Your selective quoting is not helping - if you can read past my 'headline' grabbing statement you would understand my sentiment. Derogatroy comments from the chairman of OFSTED do nothing to help. Gloating and active engagement from members of PH does nothing to help. It really adds to the problem rather than taking away.

Rovinghawk said:

mike9009 said:

I want him to resign or offer some genuine help/ guidance/ financial support to coastal communities.

If he resigns I presume you'd like him replaced with someone who would provide additional finance for your schools?

I do not necessarily want him to resign. I want 'real' action to change the educational standards on the island. It is the one issue on the island why I would consider moving off the island - and hence the downward spiral will continue as those 'able' to move off, do. What is your proposal to help the UKs coastal regions improve educational standards or should we just let them decline further? That would be progress.

Rovinghawk said:

mike9009 said:

As for the posters on this thread who agree with the chairman - I despair. What education have you had?

5 'A' levels and an engineering degree. What level of education would be necessary for someone's views to be worthwhile?

Good for you. Did you study at Sandown Academy? Should this education level be denied to certain areas of the country?

Rovinghawk said:

mike9009 said:

Inbreeding on the island was an issue but it was 40 years ago.

Any genetic issues won't have magically gone away in the intervening period.

Do you understand the demographics on the island? There are not may true 'Caulkheads' left, with population being swelled from most UK cities.

Rovinghawk said:

mike9009 said:

educational standards are low

So Ofsted have a point?

Agreed. I do not think I said anywhere in my post anything different. But reading was never my strong point either.

Rovinghawk said:

mike9009 said:

drugs are an issue (no more so than inner cities IMO)

But IoW isn't an inner city- why not compare yourselves like-for-like rather than against the worst we have to offer?

I am glad you recognise the IOW is not an inner city region. Many inner city regions have better educational standards than the IOW and have worse drug issues. Hence the relevance of the 'drugs' statement by the Chairman is somewhat irrelevant.

Rovinghawk said:

mike9009 said:

property is not overtly expensive (compared to the rest of the SE or even Portsmouth/ Southampton).

And now you compare yourself with the top end when it suits you.

Have you a map to hand? The IOW is located pretty close (six miles) to Portsmouth. A statement was made that property is expensive thus leading to more 'poverty' on the IOW. I was simply pointing out (from a position of knowledge of the local market) that the island is not as expensive as it would first seem. Certain villages (Bembridge, St Helens and Seaview, for example) are indeed more expensive areas to live in.

Rovinghawk said:

[

mike9009 said:

But life is really good here and I would not wish to live anywhere else.....

You now work for the IoW tourist board AICMFP.

Do you or have you lived on the IOW? I am giving a perspective about the island which may be useful to the context of this thread. If you feel you can add to this debate other than tearing apart peoples opinions who have first hand experience then please go ahead. What would you do? What advanced educational systems would you implement to improve standards on the island? Did the comments from the chairman of OFSTED help the island improve its educational standards? Or are we all retards without a hope in hell?
If anything his comments may help as it has raised awareness and debate - so I thank you for your post too.

PS - I dont have the answers as I work in IOW tourism now

Thanks for your otherwise useful and informative post. (I must brush up on my geography)

Mike

Edited by mike9009 on Wednesday 10th August 16:41

[Impasse]

Jon Platt is the IOW dad who recently won his court case against the local council for issuing a fine when he took his daughter on a holiday to Florida rather than attend school. This is what Hoare is up against these days.

[DMN]

mwstewart said:

Wow. Really surprised about this; I was last there in April and I still think it's a pretty nice place. OK, it's not upmarket like some parts of Devon and Cornwall, but it's a far cry from other places further around our coastline. Yes, there are not so nice parts, but certainly not to the degree there are on the mainland.

Agreed, in the summer its a lovely place to be. In winter its a dull place to be trapped.

[mike9009]

Impasse said:

Jon Platt is the IOW dad who recently won his court case against the local council for issuing a fine when he took his daughter on a holiday to Florida rather than attend school. This is what Hoare is up against these days.

.....and what is the impassioned Hoare doing to improve matters other than using inflammatory language to blame social conditions on the poor performance of some of his empire?

[Impasse]

mike9009 said:

.....and what is the impassioned Hoare doing to improve matters other than using inflammatory language to blame social conditions on the poor performance of some of his empire?

Some would suggest that if you can afford a Florida holiday even during term time, then you probably can't be considered to be poor. Therefore his remarks might not be aimed at you. Unless you're one of those "Me, me, me and my darling child" types. Then a smothering with some Ryde candyfloss might be in order.

[Welshbeef]

Impasse said:

Some would suggest that if you can afford a Florida holiday even during term time, then you probably can't be considered to be poor. Therefore his remarks might not be aimed at you. Unless you're one of those "Me, me, me and my darling child" types. Then a smothering with some Ryde candyfloss might be in order.

August in Florida is more of a risk to Hurricanes/start of the season.

Also he might only have X weeks each month he can take off - I do personally it is extremely rigid if your trying to manage that round school holidays (I cannot do Xmas nor the early Jun and very unlikely Easter in most years, so I have Feb half term Aug and Oct half term - OR I take my leave when the kids are at school. Maybe his land into term time ? ).

[mike9009]

Impasse said:

mike9009 said:

.....and what is the impassioned Hoare doing to improve matters other than using inflammatory language to blame social conditions on the poor performance of some of his empire?

Some would suggest that if you can afford a Florida holiday even during term time, then you probably can't be considered to be poor. Therefore his remarks might not be aimed at you. Unless you're one of those "Me, me, me and my darling child" types. Then a smothering with some Ryde candyfloss might be in order.

Sorry your comment was off topic, so I was bringing it back on line to the Hoare comments.

As a retort to your useful diversion though - I think you will find parents nationwide would be celebrating this, it was not led by a cohort of raging Caulkheads as your post is maybe suggesting. However my daughter had 99.4% attendance this year, only one afternoon off to have her webbed feet separated!

Mike

[andy-xr]

I loved how the guy played that one, perfectly batted back across the net to the school, it never occurred to me that it may or may not be on account of where his house happened to stand

[Crackie]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

[citizensm1th]

Further to my earlier post

I was born on the isle of Wight, 68 furrlongs pan estate Newport to be exact. I went to Barton primary school(bonehead till I die!)then moved to downside middle school finally finishing off at medina high school. (before it became some poncy dramatic arts college).

As soon as I was able to I left and other than a few visits for family reasons I have never been back and would never go back permanently.

Strangely enough I had a beer last month with my childhood neighbour who attended the same schools as I did and also moved away, one of the things we talked about is the fact neither of us would even think of moving back.

The island desperately needs a low cost connection to the main land and until that happens it will never be anything other than a back water both economically and educationally.

I feel a letter to the iwcp coming on

[anonymous-user]

I went to the IOW in the 80s
Went with a girl. Her mum who had been shagging this bloke behind her husbands back for years had moved there she had moved in actually thinking about it married the guy. Hell I even think part of the reason we went was to act as witnesses to the wedding. He thought the IOW was great I thought it was ok just ok. he was a snob hated anyone council etc. In fact he was the most arrogant pretentious wker I have met
Anyway I split with the girl and found life elsewhere. Eventually she and the bloke she married moved there presumably to look after/ share life with the mother. They did have 2 nice kids and they seem to have done well for themselves in mainland England

I looked her up on facebook Christ she looks old she could play the part of my mum these days.
The place is still a mix of good and bad
Dunno if it still holds the sunshine record for the UK don't care much. Must enquire if the stepfather guy is dead now and if he got buried. I can go dance on his grave

[jdw100]

techiedave said:

I went to the IOW in the 80s
Went with a girl. Her mum who had been shagging this bloke behind her husbands back for years had moved there she had moved in actually thinking about it married the guy. Hell I even think part of the reason we went was to act as witnesses to the wedding. He thought the IOW was great I thought it was ok just ok. he was a snob hated anyone council etc. In fact he was the most arrogant pretentious wker I have met
Anyway I split with the girl and found life elsewhere. Eventually she and the bloke she married moved there presumably to look after/ share life with the mother. They did have 2 nice kids and they seem to have done well for themselves in mainland England

I looked her up on facebook Christ she looks old she could play the part of my mum these days.
The place is still a mix of good and bad
Dunno if it still holds the sunshine record for the UK don't care much. Must enquire if the stepfather guy is dead now and if he got buried. I can go dance on his grave

30 years ago mate, let it go....just let it go.

[FN2TypeR]

[mwstewart]

[Camoradi]

I've been to the Isle of Wight twice.

Once in 1987, when I won the IOW Triathlon

Once in 1993, with the TA. We sailed over from Southampton on a landing craft, invasion style, spent the weekend running around the island jumping off of things, abseiling down cliffs, and shooting at balloons. We got reprimanded for drinking in a pub beer garden when we should have been evading occupying forces.

Love the place

[Gecko1978]

Camoradi said:

I've been to the Isle of Wight twice.

Once in 1987, when I won the IOW Triathlon

Once in 1993, with the TA. We sailed over from Southampton on a landing craft, invasion style, spent the weekend running around the island jumping off of things, abseiling down cliffs, and shooting at balloons. We got reprimanded for drinking in a pub beer garden when we should have been evading occupying forces.

Love the place

yep an according to Mike a few years back you could marry your sister...sounds delightful lol

[Superhoop]

How is the ferry to the IOW expensive at about £70

Where else can you get a trip in a time machine that takes you all the way back to 1950 in just 30 minutes for that sort of money?

[Gecko1978]

Superhoop said:

How is the ferry to the IOW expensive at about £70

Where else can you get a trip in a time machine that takes you all the way back to 1950 in just 30 minutes for that sort of money?

That an the chance to meet a group of people who have evolved flippers for feet.

[jdw100]

The ones that amuse my parents are not the poor but people at the other end of the spectrum.

At certain times of year their village becomes packed with braying chaps in deck shoes and pink or red trousers....

My mum does a good impression:

"Oh are you going to Bunny's party at the yacht club?"

"Rather old chap, just had a refit on the 40 footer, bloody amazing, chaps a real craftsman and a bloody nice chap as well"

"Waaaaaaa wah wah wah super marvellous waaaaahhhh"