Fearful of loss of Grammar School
I READ the two letters in the Guernsey Press last Thursday. One, from a teacher, was clearly passionate and from the heart. The second from Mr Raymond was written from the head. Sadly, politicians and academics seem unable to accommodate the lessons of history, thinking that it will be different this time.
Let us review what has happened in England since most grammar schools were abolished in the 1970s.
The UK, which boasted, with justification, that it had among the highest levels of literacy and numeracy in the developed world in the 1960s, now has been assessed as being the least literate and numerate amongst younger people. From top of the class to dunce in 50 years, as a recent article in the Daily Telegraph pointed out. The highest level of literacy in England is now found among people in their 70s, all of whom benefited from the 11-plus system.
Social mobility has fallen dramatically. Bright children from poor areas are neglected and do not fulfil their potential in the comprehensive system. Diane Abbott, a shadow minister and Member of Parliament for Hackney, caused a furore a while back by sending her son to a private school because the comprehensives in Hackney 'weren't good enough'. There used to be a grammar school in Hackney (alumni included Lord Goodman, Harold Pinter and Michael Caine, the actor). Hackney Downs Grammar closed its doors in 1972 and became Hackney Downs School, a comprehensive. This school was closed 20 years later by the Schools Inspectorate because it was deemed the worst-performing school in England.
The leading universities in the 1960s took most of their students from the state sector. Now only 30% come from the state sector. Universities are told to accept more children from the state sector as these children do not have the advantages that are afforded to children in the private sector.
When I attended a particularly good grammar school in north London in the 1950/60s, we prided ourselves on being the equal, if not better, than the best the private sector could offer. I came from a humble background and the grammar school system enabled me to elevate myself from that background. My old school operated from one site, the 'new' building being 40 years old, and the 'old' building being 100 years old. The central heating was woefully inadequate and the external loos froze some winters. The standard of teaching and ethos of the school more than made up for this. Oxbridge successes were the norm for the brighter boys and the also-rans (and I certainly fell into that category) were also, in the main, successful in later life. My old school became a comprehensive in 1976, and although now operating from a purpose-built site with three times as many pupils, rarely sends a student to Oxbridge. I think the term bog standard now applies.
Sadly, equality often equates to the lowering of standards.
Let us compare the counties of Buckinghamshire and Surrey, mainly middle class, not dissimilar to Guernsey. The overall results from all schools in Buckinghamshire combined are higher than Surrey's results. Buckinghamshire still has the grammar school system, while Surrey operates the comprehensive system.
If the grammar school system is abolished in Guernsey, I fear for the future of the island.
If the finance sector remains the benefactor of the island's wellbeing, where in 20 years' time will they obtain their employees if the standard of literacy and numeracy falls in the same way as has happened on the mainland?
As Mr Raymond stated, we do not need to be governed by ideological dogma.
JOHN PETERS,
La Ruette de La Generotte,
Castel,
GY5 7PG.
