Sir Claus Moser – The Cost of Everything
Public schools have long been considered superior to other forms of education and for this reason a lot of people will put money away in order to give their children a great start in life. Without a good education it will be hard to get by, and a lot of the good things in life will not be available. It may seem that a lot of money may be being wasted, but without that education the future can be bleak. This is the way that Sir Claus Moser sees it.
When he said that “Education costs money. But then so does ignorance,” he was trying to show that at least with education there was something good to show from all the money that has been spent. A person with a good education according to Sir Claus Moser, will see the opportunities that are presented, the uneducated will miss them and therefore miss out.
Sir Claus Moser
SIR CLAUS Moser, born a German Jew and now a naturalised Englishman, likes the story of the German who, in 1947, finally, triumphantly, becomes English. He emerges from the formalities long-faced. ‘What’s the matter?’ his wife asks. ‘This is one of the proudest days of your life] Why are you looking so miserable?’
The joke has fun at those who, upon adopting a new nationality, take on a whole new identity. You might think that Sir Claus himself, who in the 35-odd years since taking British citizenship has a with a career spanning music, government and academia, was the best possible candidate for the joke.
The list of his achievements is challenging. Having spent 20 years moving through the hierarchy of the London School of Economics, ending as Professor of Social Statistics, he went on to head the Government Statistical Service from 1967 to 1978. This overlapped with his 13-year chairmanship of the Royal Opera House. He was also for six years vice-chairman of N M Rothschild. In 1984 he became Warden of Wadham College, Oxford.
For more information on Sir Claus Moser please read an intriguing interview conducted by Angela Lambert.
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