Selective education

[bernardgreen]

Teresa May should be getting the schools to teach people simple everyday physics before completely changing the stablished types of schools.

She is looking at bringing back the 11 plus or similar to select pupils into academic ( Grammer ) schools, Technical schools or general education schools.

Having been through the 11 plus and a school system where children were sorted out by ability and sent to a school catering for their ability I believe that is the right way to provide childeren with the education appropriate to their ability.

A couple of years after I left school it went comprehensive and down hill. Trying to teach the same curriculum to a group of mixed ability pupils did not work. The bright pupils were held back and the less able ones who could not follow the lessons dropped out, became disruptive and diverted the staff from teaching and into maintaining discipline.

The local comprehensive introduced "streaming" in the 1980's effectively it was three separate schools under one roof and sharing staff. Grammer, Technical and Vocational. Excellent school. But has recently become an Academy and is starting to fail. Insufficent funding, staff cuts and fewer A level subject.

 

[Himaginn]

She is looking at bringing back the 11 plus or similar to select pupils into academic ( Grammer ) schools, Technical schools or general education schools.

Having been through the 11 plus and a school system where children were sorted out by ability and sent to a school catering for their ability I believe that is the right way to provide childeren with the education appropriate to their ability.

A couple of years after I left school it went comprehensive and down hill. Trying to teach the same curriculum to a group of mixed ability pupils did not work. The bright pupils were held back and the less able ones who could not follow the lessons dropped out, became disruptive and diverted the staff from teaching and into maintaining discipline.

The local comprehensive introduced "streaming" in the 1980's effectively it was three separate schools under one roof and sharing staff. Grammer, Technical and Vocational. Excellent school. But has recently become an Academy and is starting to fail. Insufficent funding, staff cuts and fewer A level subject.

I would agree, bernard. But there needs also to be that culture in the home, for the bright kids to fully realise their potential.
Without that parental guidance and support, bright kids that pass, without the appropriate parental guidance, may then, not only take up a place that could have gone to a more motivated child, but also have a deleterious effect on the class/school.
Perhaps the selective education system need to be reinforced with financial/parental/mentoring support. But that would be perceived as going too far.