AS the person appointed by British Mensa to go on Radio Scotland in June 2015 to defend it against charges of elitism (the Child Genius programme) – I come from a modest background and had been educated at my local primary and secondary schools (Glasgow’s Scotstoun and Victoria Drive respectively) but had also rejected the opportunity to attend a fee-paying school - I have followed the recent debate on whether we are failing our brightest pupils with interest.
I grew up in Scotstoun in the 1960s and 70s, a golden era for Scottish education when it was indeed the best in the world. At Scotstoun primary class sizes varied from 37 to 59 pupils as a result of Glasgow Corporation’s Labour administration, which in their infinite wisdom built eight blocks of multi-storey flats with no regard for how the local schools were supposed to cope with the inevitable tsunami of new pupils. Although this of necessity meant that the amount of time spent with individual pupils by teachers was greatly constrained the Education given was always first class with pupils giving respect to female teachers who in turn ensured that that we were literate and numerate to a standard (sadly) infinitely superior to pupils today. While I tended to be first in the class, I had a healthy rivalry with another boy who pushed me all the way, something which brought out the best in both of us.
Victoria Drive secondary had at its peak some 1,500 or so pupils from five local primary schools with two intakes arriving each year. My view then and now is that healthy competition is a good thing as it stretches able young pupils. However it is important to note that Victoria Drive gave a very good education to all its pupils, irrespective of both the abilities and socio-economic backgrounds and this was also not at the expense of the most able (I did Latin and Classical Greek). I still do not accept that catering for the needs of the many while nurturing the abilities of the outstanding few are or should be mutually exclusive goals.
One of the reasons why people were so well educated in my day that a common thread ran through the mindset of almost all the parents, that education was something to be valued, not just because it could lead to a better-paid job, but also for its own sake. Children would always be encouraged by their parents to pay attention in the classroom and to do their homework properly.
While targeting potential high achievers in comprehensive education from low and middle income backgrounds with financial support and sustained intervention throughout their time in school is undoubtedly the right thing to do, unless both parents and teachers are in agreement with that which is being proposed and the methods being
employed, and are also prepared to work together in striving to ensure that the children concerned achieve their potential, then no matter how good the system put in place it will eventually ultimately fail to deliver the required results.
Keith Ross,
Flat 16, Minerva Court, 20 Elliot Street, Glasgow.
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