Head boy.

If the hat fits: Andrew Neil in the Eton boys' outfitter.

Last week the BBC screened an excellent programme entitled 'Posh and Posher' hosted by Andrew Neil. It had a subtitle: 'Why do public school boys run Britain?'. Neil (a grammar school boy) unearthed jaw dropping facts about the stranglehold certain public schools have in the production of future national leaders. No less than nineteen prime ministers were educated at Eton.

Neil's entertaining programme focused on the question, but offered few answers. It did not fully answer the key issue as to why public schools are so much better at providing senior politicians than state schools. In fact Neil did not even ask the question as to why most public schools are equally unsuccessful as the state sector. There are a just a handful of public schools that seem to have the right channels to power.

The added point made in the programme was the dominance of Oxbridge, and especially the course Politics, Philosophy and Economics. Public schools are much more successful in getting their students into the top universities.

I do not believe that the Eton boys are inherently more intelligent than bright boys and girls from 'bog standard' state schools.  So how can the corridors of power be opened up to all the men and women of this country, rather than the select few?

I don't have an easy answer, but the programme provided some pointers. First, Eton gave the boys great (almost outrageous) confidence by encouraging them to run their own clubs and societies. Second, their teachers are all highly qualified (and confident) role models.

Neil seemed nostalgic for the grammar school era, but countless selective public schools around the country don't seem to do much better than the comprehensive schools. A return to the 1950s is not an option, but a root and branch look at the future of state education is overdue.