Speech Day welcomes back Minister of State
Eltham College held up as his benchmark for all UK schools
The guest of honour at Speech Day this year was Jim Knight MP, who left Eltham College in 1983 before reading Geography at Cambridge University. A manager of arts venues and a publishing company before entering politics, he became Mayor of Frome in 1999 and was elected Labour MP for Dorset South in 2001. Since entering parliament he has been Minister for Rural Affairs at Defra and he is currently Minister of State for Schools and 14-19 Learners at the Department for Education and Skills.
In his speech he spoke warmly of his time at Eltham College, remembering in particular the College Society, whose speakers inspired his interest in politics, and former teachers including Mr Pringle (who caught him smoking!) and Mr McCartney. He also indicated that he regarded Eltham College as setting a benchmark standard to which all schools in the country should aspire. In particular, he identified the four main points that made a good school: good teachers and resources; firm but caring discipline; strong leadership; and support given that valued the talents of each individual pupil. Jim Knight recalled that these four points were crucial to the education he received when at Eltham, and he was confident that they were still essential to our current success.