Academics at
Durham University have conducted a study that concludes that grammar schools perform no better
than non-selective state schools, once their pupils' higher ability and
wealth is taken into account.
I will let you ponder that for a minute or so, before I say what I think.
Well, think about that, of course those pupils who are brighter and more motivated will do better!
The BBC reports that the research, based on the detailed results of nearly 550,000 pupils, suggests once the ability and social background of pupils is taken into account, grammar schools are no more or less effective than other schools.
The research not only looked at the social backgrounds of grammar pupils, but also:
- rates of chronic poverty
- ethnicity
- home language
- special educational needs
- age in the year group
Let me make a small, but important point, no one human being is identical to another in terms of ability, intellect, skills etc etc. Streaming of pupils (whether in public, grammar or state schools) is necessary in order to ensure that all can achieve their best.
Classes of mixed ability pupils fail, because if the teachers focus on the brightest then the slower pupils will be left behind, and if the teachers focus on the slowest then the brighter pupils will become bored and disruptive.
Streaming is necessary to give all pupils a chance to achieve their best!
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Schools are not centers of learning, they are centers of inspiration.
ReplyDeleteFor instance:-
Boys will try to mimic the skills of Messi or Ronaldo with no 'teaching' input from either of these great footballers.
Girls will try to mimic dance routines from various famous pop stars without ever meeting them.
Any good teacher will know that very little can be achieved in the few hours a week that their pupils are in their classes.
A good teacher will inspire pupils to go and learn for themselves.
Better schools have better teachers.
What schools have are teaching laboratories too. You can avail yourself of excellent microscopes to do your own microscopy and various chemicals to conduct experiments by yourself, or you could when I was at school, with certain provisos of course. Plus a well stocked library. Now do all schools have all these facilities these days?
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember using the school's facilities too.
ReplyDeleteBut today's teachers seem to be political, lazy and arrogant.
They are incapable of controlling a classroom of children without having at least one teaching assistant.
They cannot use their extensive free time to plan their lessons, instead they bleat about having free periods and even days off to do so.
They are more interested in what goes into their pupils lunchbox than what goes into their heads.
And they arrogantly think that the time a student has in their presence is sufficient for their educational needs.
I'm a bright person, but I'm also a lazy one. If I hadn't attended an "elitist" school no-one would have "kicked me in the bum" to make the best of my capabilities. If I had gone to a Comp. I would have sunk without trace.
ReplyDeleteRichmond Mathewson