Perhaps their minds, having been broadened, will turn away from the dark side and be more focused on good works and blamelessness.

I wonder if this finishing school did a degree course in money laundering ?

It's good they will have the correct deportment when they torturing informants.

If only people received their just deserts.

Educating above their station?  So any poor person should not take a bursary in your book then.  Stay at the bottom of the pile son thats where you belong.

At one of my daughters private school (a pretty good one) she had a friend with big house, fancy motors.  No one though anythng of it as many had the same.  Turned out he was a oval drug king pin.

His daughters, after getting over the trauma of their mother being beaton up by other drug lords have turned out it seems.

I don't think anyone can be said to be 'educated above their station' - the broader the education the better - but I think it's difficult to erase culture completely.   Somewhere along the line fundamental breeding is likely to rear its head.  Since Eliza Doolittle has been mentioned, she is a prime example.  Dressed elegantly to the nines, a fine lady to all intents and purposes, over-excited at a race course, she nevertheless forgot her training and cheered her horse on by shouting in her finest Cockney, "Come on, Dover! Move your bloomin' ***!"

Oops!   As the saying goes, and with apologies to all the posh Essex ladies,  'You can take the girl out of Essex but you can't take Essex out of the girl'.  

Society couldn't work that way because one size never fits all.

School is only one (minor) factor. I have had friends who were utter failures at school - thick as pig poop & made successes of their lives. Others who did well became complete failures. Me - bit in between I think.

//offered as good a start in life as Rodean, Eton, or Winchester.//

Why is it people like you always quote top PUBLIC schools?  Most people privately educated go to PRIVATE schools; totally different.

And you know why they do better, its because they dont (generally) employ right-on lefties who would rather indoctrinate than teach pupils correctly.

//I'm a great believer in the power of education to change lives.//

Not exactly what you implied in the OP is it?

yes we are getting mixed messages here sandy. 

///Irony, I was trying a bit of that//

Ah yes that old one always pulled into play when caught out.

Its always sandys excuse ymb.You would think he would have learned by now.

Aye,right sandy.

The usual joyless mob are abroad this day.

Lets hope they stay there then dougie.