We mentioned that Sir Richard would guest edit the esteemed Today show on BBC Radio 4 as part of a week of guest editors ranging from the Duchess of York to U2’s Bono. After the busy holidays and now back in Los Angeles, I finally had a chance to listen to the show. Definitely an interesting endeavor on Sir Richard’s part, and one which he seems to enjoy. Returning to his roots as an editor (several accounts have said his long-term goals in starting Student at 15 were to be an editor rather than entrepreneur), Branson focused the Radio 4 staff on topics he considered important. (The show has its own summary online for your convenience.)  

Branson raised the issue of why the British educational system produces so many fewer entrepreneurs than the American system does, and had experts testify that entrepreneurs in the UK have more modest expectations than their American counterparts (schools not encouraging creativity, it was said) and are terrified of the consequences of failure. Another story about university education in the UK also addressed failings of the educational system, the small amount of lecture time, and how university attendance targets were unreasonable and not necessarily beneficial either. One expert noted that the correlation between university education and economic development is that more people can afford university when the economy is good, not that more education creates a better economy. Branson also raised the topic of replacing French with Spanish in British schools, with experts noting that Spanish is far more widely used in the Americas and is more economically useful. (Lots of education topics from the dyslexic high-school drop-out, as even he himself noted in his wrap-up.) The discussion of an independent risk commission also brought up several good points, and speculated that lives could be saved by warning the public more appropriately. For example, coverage of (rare) rail accidents convinced people to use (far more unsafe) automobile transportation, and the government’s poor advice about BSE (what we in the US call "mad cow" disease) may have increased cases of fatal human transmission. All in all, an interesting show with several good issues raised for consideration and further discussion.