Selective Education

The results are skewed because the mere presence of selective schools mean that certain able pupils and certain able teachers move on, not giving others a chance. A fully comprehensive system would ensure good results for everyone. The process of selection is also unfair as the tests children take at 11 attempt to measure their current ability rather than their long-term academic potential. Social class and parental pushing, the quality of their primary school, recent illness, etc. can all play too large a part for the process to be objective.

The plan is flawed in that not all children who are good at English are good at Mathematics, for example. Streaming allows a child to be in a high-ability class for one subject and a remedial class for another, which is not possible in a fully selective school. Yet the main objection is that the system is shockingly and openly elitist. Education is a right, not a privilege. A good education should be available to all, not just the elitist stratum whilst the majority are left to rot.

Effective streaming within a mixed ability school can do this. The difference is that in between lessons, at break times and lunchtimes and going to and from school, pupils mix together socially. This fosters a sense of community, prevents stratification and means that the less able feel valued and more able feel less ostracised. In addition, even in unstreamed classes teachers everywhere succeed in teaching to a wide range of abilities; often the most able students can help to support the slower learners, and gain themselves from the experience.

Whilst the rest are dumped! The bad schools are those where all those who can get out, have. Funding, pupils, teachers all move on and you are left with those who can’t. How is it equitable, or morally justifiable to dump kids on the scrap-heap at eleven? Abandoning the easy option leaves good teachers open to all, thus showing the troublemakers that are valued and thus remain feeling that nobody cares about them.

This is not necessarily true at all – many leaders of industry, politics and the arts have gone to mixed ability schools. The negative effect is in also producing an underclass. Studies show that those who commit more crimes, truant more, have children earlier, take children earlier take more illegal drugs went to schools in sink areas. It is not acceptable for this to be happening. We cannot abandon the majority at eleven to concentrate on an elite few. All children deserve a good education and the only way that this happen is by ensuring that good teachers and good pupils are taken along the same path as not so able children.

In no school can there ever be a class of identical ability, even in selective schools, there is a divergence. The mark of a good teacher is in being able to juggle varying abilities. Giving teachers an easy time is a poor way of justifying such an elitist education. In any case, the problem is a relative one; weaker students within a selective school may become unmotivated and perform less well than they would have done as more able students in a mixed-ability school.