On Sun, 31 Aug 2003 16:43:20 +0100, "IMM" wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 31 Aug 2003 11:58:37 +0100, "IMM" wrote:



Rather than accepting that the comprehensive experiment is an
unmitigated disaster and restoring a system of schools appropriate to
the students needs, the dogma is allowed to continue.

Man of the
moment, Alistair Campbell went to a comp.

That says it all.....

Exactly. But he did go a snotty uni though. I suppose there was something
that wasn't quite right, but we will forgive him.

You may. I doubt if the electorate will.

He made up it by
trouncing right wing idiot propaganda papers.

He certainly made a lot of things up. !

Grammar schools are all about
good old British petty snobbery.

Not in my experience.


I suppose you
want the 11 plus back again.

Not in the form that it had when I did it.

But at 13, so a 13 plus. Some education authorities had 13 pluses and I
belive they were scrapped around 1965-65.

Change of school at 13-14 is quite common if you look at what other
countries do.

The comprehensive system is by far the best system by a mile.

The results do not bear that out.

There are
some brilliant comps around.

... and the majority are mediochre at best, as illustrated by the need
to lower standards to achieve a perception of achievement.

Grammar schools were all geared to non
technical subjects.

They certainly were not. Within the range of grammar schools there
were some that were more focussed on arts and humanities while others
focussed more on the sciences.

The selective schools, certainly from what I saw, did a good job of
vocational education.

One of the reasons we failed at industry.


Repeatedly messing around with the education system for political
dogma has been one factor. Lack of appropriate education to match the
children's abilities has been a second. Continuing to throw good
money after bad on a failed concept is a third.


..andy

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