I was always in the state education system in the 50's and 60's and it was fine as far as I could tell. The problem came not with the attempt at abolishing Grammar schools but with the view that children of all abilities should be taught not just in the same school but in the same class. Children, just like adults, have differing abilities and learning speeds so lumping them all together serves nobody.
I would certainly abolish religious schools as they are more divisive than any other form.
I was always in the state education system in the 50's and 60's and it was fine as far as I could tell. The problem came not with the attempt at abolishing Grammar schools but with the view that children of all abilities should be taught not just in the same school but in the same class. Children, just like adults, have differing abilities and learning speeds so lumping them all together serves nobody.
I would certainly abolish religious schools as they are more divisive than any other form.
I too had my education in the state system ... I didn't say that children with differing abilities should be lumped together ... just that their parents' wealth or lack of it should not determine the education their children receive ... or who they are educated with.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I went to a large comprehensive school with all (or most) abilities in the same school and mixing for non-academic activities but with streamed classes (I think it was 14 classes of 30-ish per year group, so plenty of scope for putting people with similar abilities together). It seemed to work, but might not work in less densely populated areas. In junior school we only had one class per year group and the more academically-inclined got bored easily and messed about too much while the less academic struggled to keep up and the ones in the middle got little of the teacher's time in between, so it didn't suit anyone. I don't know what the answer is. Bigger schools with more streaming from age 7 or 8? More teachers and smaller classes?
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Of course it is, but poverty is not a prerequisite for being a labour party supporter and Tony Blair's government did more to lift people out of poverty than any government before or since.
In the UK in the short term maybe but you couldn't make the same argument about poverty in Iraq or the knock-on effects in other Middle Eastern countries. The refugee 'crisis' we're seeing now can be traced back to Blair's decision to enter us into an illegal war too.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Hindsight is a wonderful tool. Whilst I would not disagree that a part of the refugee crisis may in some part be due to the Iraq war, most of the reason goes back far further than that, to decisions taken by the West after WW2. I also believe that any other PM would have taken the same decision as TB did, mainly due to the perceived need to support our American "allies".
Agree with @Dovefromabove, re education. I would ban private and religious schools and am proud of my state school education. Over 80% of my year at medical school were privately educated.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
Catholic junior school in the 50s, no mucking about, we were all expected to work hard and behave properly. It meant I was able to get a scholarship to a grammar school in a nearby town, which led to university. Not bad for one of six children living on a council estate, and from what would certainly be described as a very poor family. We chose to educate our children privately, at schools with other parents who were keen to encourage learning and maintain discipline. I think the loss of grammar schools removed opportunities for children from poorer backgrounds, although frankly, the non catholic schools on our estate didn’t send so many children on to grammar schools. In my opinion, the idea of comprehensive schools was lost, in that the better examples became only available to those children whose parents could afford the inflated local house prices. However, I’d have to be honest and confess that if there had been some privilege I could buy for my children, I’d probably have done it!
I think there have been some insightful comments and viewpoints here. I just want to say please let's not fall out over them. It's a great forum and it would be a shame if people feel the need to leave. It's flippin' snowing hard here, I hate snow! There, that's my gripe for the day! Take care everyone, whatever is planned for your day.
Agree with @Dovefromabove, re education. I would ban private and religious schools and am proud of my state school education. Over 80% of my year at medical school were privately educated.
Posts
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
however, I shall continue this post on the Politics thread
...https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1061667/politics-this-way-️-️-️-️#latest
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I also believe that any other PM would have taken the same decision as TB did, mainly due to the perceived need to support our American "allies".
Agree with @Dovefromabove, re education. I would ban private and religious schools and am proud of my state school education. Over 80% of my year at medical school were privately educated.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
We chose to educate our children privately, at schools with other parents who were keen to encourage learning and maintain discipline. I think the loss of grammar schools removed opportunities for children from poorer backgrounds, although frankly, the non catholic schools on our estate didn’t send so many children on to grammar schools.
In my opinion, the idea of comprehensive schools was lost, in that the better examples became only available to those children whose parents could afford the inflated local house prices.
However, I’d have to be honest and confess that if there had been some privilege I could buy for my children, I’d probably have done it!
It's flippin' snowing hard here, I hate snow! There, that's my gripe for the day!
Take care everyone, whatever is planned for your day.
@punkdoc @Dovefromabove
Hear, Hear.. absolutely agree with you and Dove.
'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw'