IN Cranhill in Glasgow’s north east a couple of years ago I was privileged to witness a sacred moment. The local councillor, Frank Docherty, has not lost that sense of what the Labour Party is supposed to be about. He knows he represents one of the most disadvantaged districts in Glasgow and works every day to improve the lives of its citizens. That afternoon in Cranhill Community Centre I watched him take notes as a young mother conveyed graphically her concern at a situation developing at her daughter’s school. She was unhappy that her daughter had been waiting several months for a new modern studies teacher to replace the one who had become ill.
“She’s got a qualified acceptance for the university, but she’s got to get her modern studies,” she said. In this neighbourhood a university education is a rare and precious gift and Mr Docherty was anxious that the prospects of this bright, young pupil were not damaged by the system. Near the end of the day a robust phone call took place between him and the city’s education department. Another modern studies teacher was been found to take class the following day. Someone talked, someone listened and a young woman’s future was garlanded with a few more possibilities. Of such slim margins is the difference between success and failure on these streets. In Glasgow’s more affluent communities a family can buy academic success for their children by purchasing an expensive private education and topping it up with private tuition. It is part of a scandalous equality gap in the Scottish education system John Swinney’s vacuous education review will not reduce by an inch.
According to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, 10.9 per cent of 18-year-olds in our poorest areas were offered a higher education place in 2016, half the number in these areas, according to the Ucas gatekeeper, who do so in England and Wales. The figure attending any of our elite universities is tiny.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly asked us to judge her on her Government’s success in reducing the attainment gap. She’d better hope few people do so as the obstacles that prevent children from disadvantaged backgrounds from fulfilling their destiny show no signs of reducing after 10 years of SNP government. Mr Swinney’s pallid package of reforms won’t cut it. It leaves the SNP open to the accusation that it seeks to stay in power for as long as possible by changing as little as possible.
Yet, just as the Scottish Government stands accused of a fearful and cautious approach to addressing this, so middle-class, hand-wringing lefties like me can equally be deemed culpable of doing little but write about it from the comfort of a nice home somewhere leafy. I’ve often thought that a spell volunteering overseas would be just the ticket on many levels. But so sparse are my practical skills that I would merely add to the chaos and confusion of any given situation.
In the past few years I have, though, tutored several young relatives in English and Modern Studies. In this I’ve been careful not to undermine their classwork but have sought merely to pass on some tips about expressing their ideas a bit more lucidly.
If several others like me were willing to extend their voluntary efforts to include children from disadvantaged communities we might emerge with something resembling a tuition bank. Instead of donating food we would donate a couple of hours of our time tutoring children whose parents could not afford private tuition.
I fully acknowledge that there will be issues around disclosure to be dealt with and that, in many cases, one-to-one visits may not be entirely appropriate and that the hire of a facility may be required for an evening. I’m not claiming we’d make great life-changing differences but, here and there, we may be able to instil a little confidence where it’s lacking and perhaps a bit of self-esteem.
When you remove the fog of constitutional battle and tribalism of Left and Right almost every journalist I know has a good heart and genuinely cares about Scotland and its people. Some had difficulties at school similar to those encountered by the children from these communities.
In many cases someone cared and made a difference at a crucial time in their lives and a corner was turned. They could make connections with some of these children too.
And there must be a significant number of retired teachers among many other professions and trades who have railed at the inequality of our education system. The way that it breeds and reinforces insidious patterns of privilege which disfigures public life in this country must have angered them at those points when they have experienced them personally. Perhaps some would welcome the opportunity to close the equality gap in our education system a little by donating a little of their skills and time.
Private tuition is one of many levers used by the affluent to maintain their hegemony at the top of society and arrange a sort of gerrymandering of influence. Another is the insidious form of freemasonry that reigns in those high-value degree courses such as law and medicine that are egregiously weighted in favour of the children of rich people. It’s far more difficult for a child from Springburn or Possilpark to obtain an A at Higher than for a child from Bearsden or Giffnock. By demanding rows of A’s for these courses they have become a virtual no-go zone for poorer children.
It is a system designed to keep them out. Yet between them these universities that receive hundreds of millions of pounds of our money and left-wing governments have done very little to level the playing field. The consequences of this leave Scotland diminished. It means that this country, like England, will always be run and have its affairs influenced by a privileged few who were never the brightest and certainly not the best.
By establishing a facility to provide free tuition to children who need it but can’t afford it might make a little difference. For anyone who may be interested in finding out more, including Mr Swinney, feel free to contact me at The Herald or on social media.
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