Another Brick In The Wall

Back when I entered secondary education in 1971 we had two grammar schools (one for boys and one for girls) and two secondary schools (both mixed) in our town. If you passed the 11 plus it did not matter where in the town or surrounding area you lived, in a leafy suburb or in a two up two down, or what your social background was, or how far from the school, you went to the grammar. If that's not equality I don't know what is. Of the two secondary schools, one was geared to apprenticeships (another sadly dead idea) the other to more general education, so those who did not pass the 11 plus still had a choice.

There is a report out today from children's charity Barnardo's rightly decrying the social injustice of rich middle class parents manipulating the current school entry system to their advantage primarily by moving into the catchment areas of the best schools. The report suggests that "...pupils would take a standard test and would then be divided into five ability bands based on the results." sounds kind of familiar!

The idea that the five ability bands are then spread equally between all schools would do away with the repulsive spectacle of Mr & Mrs Richerthanthou moving into the catchment areas of the best schools which currently operate selection policies, and has to be applauded, but it would not solve the lowest common denominator factor that has bedevilled comprehensive education since it's inception.
 
In my opinion the best system remains the one I describe at the beginning, but we are too far down the road of utility education to ever go back.
 
....and another thing while we're on education. Back in my sixth form days we were told that simply by still being at school past the age of 16 we were in the top 10% of the system. If you got a grade A at A-level you were in the top 10% of that 10%! With the annual results season just passed, producing yet another record year, it must be nigh on impossible for universities to pick the best students as top grades have become far too commonplace. I don't place any blame on the kids as they can only take the course and end exam that's put in front of them, but I cannot believe that kids today are any brighter than they were in my day, as the top heavy results would seem to show. Judging by the poor quality of job applications and resumes I have seen from people under 20 in recent years, it seems to me as if the standard of grammar at the very least has declined since I was at school. What's the pint (sic) of reeling off a string of impressive A-level results if you can't compose a letter properly? My favourite was a lad who had A grades in Mats & Gography. Needless to say he did not take an English A level.