But it doesn't take a calculator to see how a long-term investor--which is what people investing for retirement are supposed to be--would pay a lot more after just a few years, even if up-front Class A-type fees are waived, as they often are in retirement accounts.

FORBES: R Shares, Competitive--But For Whom?

Mr Galton reckons that 35% of the primary-school day is now spent on whole-class teaching, up from 15% a few years ago.

ECONOMIST: Plowden��s progress