What School Do You Think?

What school do you think Sam should go to.”

Well, what’s at stake here, our sensibilities, or Sam’s education?

I want him to go to a free school. One that runs on more of a university model. Where the kids decide what they do. They’ve got to learn from young, to make decisions for them selves.

Is that going to get him to university and lets face it, well paid jobs?

I hope so. He’ll learn to think for himself, a good quality for university. He’ll be the master of his own destiny.

I just want him to go to the best school, whichever one it is.

What do you think? Am I just being indulgent and left wing?

Sam was always self-indulgent, for you. Why stop now?

Where did that come from?

You indulge him.

I work from home. I’m lucky like that.

Stop smoking pot around him.

I don’t.

He tells me. Dad smoked four joints. Cut it out.

You want me to lie to him?

No. I just don’t want him smoking.

He’s four.

Your point is? He sees you smoking.

So what school

Oh, I just want him to have every opportunity.

Don’t you want to see him grow up with a back bone. And feel good about himself.

I want him to have a career and all the things he wants in life.

Besides, he sees you smoking.

That’s only cigarettes, and hardly ever. I don’t smoke very much at all. Do you want him doing drug rehab by sixteen?

You always smoke when you’re around me.

Precisely!

He sees you drinking.

Are you going to be serious?

I am being serious. What school do you think?

Is there somewhere we can ring up? How do we find out these things? Is there a course we can do?

If there’s not, there’s jolly going to be one, by the look of you.

It wouldn’t help if you gave some thought you know? Unless you’ve got your heart set on no curriculum and cigarette smoking in class.