ICONOCLASTS one who assails cherished beliefs

Reading  in the Sydney papers that a team of free thinkers are required ,I pricked up my ears as I initially did not know the meaning of iconoclasts until I consulted my Collins pocket dictionary.
Skills required need to work alone.
Not influenced by crowd behavior
Require sharp analytical skills.
Curious,able to question orthodoxies.
Unflinching in the face of criticism.
Able to weather personal attacks threats in the pursuit of truth.
Must have verbal skills to express basic common sense.
Able to inspire and encourage others to speak freely .
Strength to say no when required.
Not concerned by neighbours negative thoughts
Not parochial.
Enterprising and innovative with freedom to create our own identity
Good ethical beliefs
Ability to push towards enlighten paths for humans to flourish
Not influenced by dogma.
Not influenced by platitudes or vilifying language.
That's quite a long list and possibly unattainable for the average citizen,who may be more comfortable relaxing into the ordinary with limited stress.
It all begins with genes,who our parents are? what were their beliefs and values.Much can be gained at looking at our ancestors and what their lives involved .
In my youth I thought there were two classes, workers and bosses,but over the years with some maturity and a modicum of bias,which we all have, the picture becomes very complex.
Education is possibly the biggest influence ,luck can also come into the picture,as teacher quality can vary within a school and within the wide variety of education services available.
In Australia ignorance plays a part, as25%of the population qualify for this value. The Tall Poppy syndrome also effect the overall situation.

Photo of Conforming Citizens

 
  The Public secondary education system has gone backwards in both relative and absolute terms,
in reading maths and science.
Concluding that " Giving a Gonski "and doleing out more money to schools for the best part of a decade ,with the aim of providing educational opportunities for all has done little to improve student learning,shown by International test scores.
Australian teachers are the third highest paid among higher income economies,because the teachers union and state governments insist that teachers are paid on seniority,not how well they teach.
Its controversial and depressing to suggest,that tens of billions of dollars have been poured into the school system,but the result is up to half of students are classified as disadvantaged.
A declining education system leaves school leavers ill-prepared for adult life.

Maybe this man can help ?
(C) by Tum decended from Scottish seafarers