Get over yourselves!!!
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Hi Guilio
The simple answer to your question about why there are hardly any grammar schools in south London anyway is ILEA and the Labour Council. Kent has virtually always had a Conservative Council so they kept their grammar schools at a time when most of hte country was ditching them. My mum and aunt went to Haberdashers Askes in New Cross and my aunt later taught there and it was an excellent school but it had to become a comp and is now I think a technology college or some such.
Twellsmum
The simple answer to your question about why there are hardly any grammar schools in south London anyway is ILEA and the Labour Council. Kent has virtually always had a Conservative Council so they kept their grammar schools at a time when most of hte country was ditching them. My mum and aunt went to Haberdashers Askes in New Cross and my aunt later taught there and it was an excellent school but it had to become a comp and is now I think a technology college or some such.
Twellsmum
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Grumpy Old Man
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2006 7:51 am
- Location: The Garden of England
as a parent, I would be happy if my children get a grammar place
as a citizen, I believe that grammar schools are divisive for society, true they give a better chance for able poor kids, but as a whole they reinforce classes and status quo and society loses out, because you give more to who needs it less, while it should be the other way round
obviously this is fine if you think society is a jungle and it is survival of the fittest
(I suppose this makes me offically a hypocrite)
as a citizen, I believe that grammar schools are divisive for society, true they give a better chance for able poor kids, but as a whole they reinforce classes and status quo and society loses out, because you give more to who needs it less, while it should be the other way round
obviously this is fine if you think society is a jungle and it is survival of the fittest
(I suppose this makes me offically a hypocrite)
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theycandoit
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2008 5:46 pm
- Location: Kent
Grammar Schools don't get all the resources
Looking around some of the local Secondary schools it is clear that the money spent on resources and buildings is in no way tipped towards the Grammar. Some of non-grammar schools appear to have had significant money spent on them in comparison.
The grammar schools can perhaps present a more enthustic environment in some of the academic areas, but non-grammar schools can be equally motivated by less academic subjects. This does make them lesser as they serve different needs. Ideally I think there should be more overlap between these schools than there appears to be.
For us, it is very much trying to look at how the school will fit the child not the other way around. We really feel a Grammar School would provide the best support for our son and his interests.
The grammar schools can perhaps present a more enthustic environment in some of the academic areas, but non-grammar schools can be equally motivated by less academic subjects. This does make them lesser as they serve different needs. Ideally I think there should be more overlap between these schools than there appears to be.
For us, it is very much trying to look at how the school will fit the child not the other way around. We really feel a Grammar School would provide the best support for our son and his interests.
kid power rules!
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T.i.p.s.y
New pristine facilities do not make a school successful. Its interesting that the government want independent schools to "liaise" with comps but not grammar schools. Surely they should be looking to these successful grammar schools first as they share more in common with comps i.e. following exactly the same curriculum! 
you are probably right about money, did not think about it before
the argument about specialism (i.e. grammar more academic, comp less academic subject) does not really sound plausible
the biggest difference I find of secondary education here compared to, say, Italy (my country of origin), is how little difference there is between different schools in terms of curriculum
they all do the same subjects in year7-9 (like in Italy to be honest), and there is some choice of subjects for GCSE, but fairly limited compared to continental Europe, where schools do specialise in academic subjects ("liceo" correspond to grammar), industrial subjects (no equivalent), business (industry, accounting, IT, commerce, no comparable equivalent here), vocational (a craft, or sport, some schools here offer a bit more of this, but still not that specialised)
and in Italy the student chose what school to go to
you think you are good enough for "liceo"? you go there and if you struggle you can change
you like music? you go to "conservatorio"
in England (or maybe just London?) you are left begging for a place, and lets be honest, the difference between a pass mark and not can be, and often is, as little as one wrong question
you might get a pupil copying an answer from the neighbour and get a place
is this fair? does one wrong question justify giving a better chance in life to John instead of Paul? (getting a bit dramatic here...)
the argument about specialism (i.e. grammar more academic, comp less academic subject) does not really sound plausible
the biggest difference I find of secondary education here compared to, say, Italy (my country of origin), is how little difference there is between different schools in terms of curriculum
they all do the same subjects in year7-9 (like in Italy to be honest), and there is some choice of subjects for GCSE, but fairly limited compared to continental Europe, where schools do specialise in academic subjects ("liceo" correspond to grammar), industrial subjects (no equivalent), business (industry, accounting, IT, commerce, no comparable equivalent here), vocational (a craft, or sport, some schools here offer a bit more of this, but still not that specialised)
and in Italy the student chose what school to go to
you think you are good enough for "liceo"? you go there and if you struggle you can change
you like music? you go to "conservatorio"
in England (or maybe just London?) you are left begging for a place, and lets be honest, the difference between a pass mark and not can be, and often is, as little as one wrong question
you might get a pupil copying an answer from the neighbour and get a place
is this fair? does one wrong question justify giving a better chance in life to John instead of Paul? (getting a bit dramatic here...)
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T.i.p.s.y
I think the 11+ system is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!
Every child should have a psychometric test in primary schools and the top marks get in, that way poorer less informed pupils do no miss out, and biased teachers do not recommend only a select few. If 100 pupils get 1 mark below he pass mark then build anoher GS!
P.S. I know all tests are subject to weaknesses but some need much less prior knowledge/coaching.
Every child should have a psychometric test in primary schools and the top marks get in, that way poorer less informed pupils do no miss out, and biased teachers do not recommend only a select few. If 100 pupils get 1 mark below he pass mark then build anoher GS!
P.S. I know all tests are subject to weaknesses but some need much less prior knowledge/coaching.
