[Vocabulary] 'thanks to' or 'owing to'

[eeshu]

Below is a multiple-choice item.

There remains, ______ political conviction, a public debate between the supporters of comprehensive schools and those who want to retain or revive grammar schools. For one group the overriding consideration is equality and the need to eliminate privilege, even if it means ruling out any form of parental choice; for the other, the belief that its own children have the best chance of belonging to the educational elite is sufficient reason for perpetuating it.

a) thanks to
b) owing to

Both options are acceptable, aren' they? Can anyone please tell me why is one better than the other?

 

[Rover_KE]

Please tell us the source of this question, eeshu.

 

[eeshu]

Please tell us the source of this question, eeshu.

This is a vocabulary test item. I actually know the answer. The thing is that I don't buy the story given by the answer giver. But I don't want to pre-empt any possibiliity of getting a better explanation. So, let me know how you native speakers think of it. Thanks.

 

[jutfrank]

The only difference I can think of here is that by using thanks to, the writer expresses an element of gratitude at there being a public debate, but there is no obvious sense of this in the rest of the text.

owing to is neutral and does not have a sense of 'thanks', so that's the better choice, in my opinion.

However, it seems very harsh to say that thanks to is wrong, especially as this is part of a test. I think both are acceptable.

 

[eeshu]

The only difference I can think of here is that by using thanks to, the writer expresses an element of gratitude at there being a public debate, but there is no obvious sense of this in the rest of the text.

owing to is neutral and does not have a sense of 'thanks', so that's the better choice, in my opinion.

However, it seems very harsh to say that thanks to is wrong, especially as this is part of a test. I think both are acceptable.

That is exactly where I disagree with my colleague. She shares your view of opting for 'owing to' as the better one of the two, as she also believes that 'thanks to' suggests a tone of positive evaluation. In the absence of such commendatory connotations, she argued, 'thanks to' can only be used when irony is intended. So here are my questions again:
1) Is there always a touch of irony in the context if the cause is not a favourable / agreeable one?
2) Is it natural at all to say "There remains, thanks to political conviction, a public debate between the supporters of comprehensive schools and those who want to retain or revive grammar schools. For one group the overriding consideration is equality and the need to eliminate privilege, even if it means ruling out any form of parental choice; for the other, the belief that its own children have the best chance of belonging to the educational elite is sufficient reason for perpetuating it."?
3) If the above sentence is natural, does it necessarily suggest gratitude?

 

[jutfrank]

Right, I agree with your colleague.

1) I would hesitate to say 'always', but often, yes.
2) I would say yes, it is.
3) That's what we're discussing. I think to me as a reader, yes, it does, however slight. However, that may not be the intention of the writer.

 

[Tdol]

It seems a harsh thing to apply to a test question.