Why is academic achievement STILL scoffed at?

Unfortunately different tribes form in all schools regardless of the pastoral care.My kids all attend private selective schools where clever children are admired .It's still very tribal especially in the prep school.
Dd2 has done some brilliant comic strips and story boards in French,Spanish and English.Its taken her hours as she loves drawing very detailed pictures.I disagree this sort of homework is worthless.I do admit to feeling dismayed when this homework was the only work dd1 had to do all week in the local comp.

This is where choice at Secondary is a good thing. My DD was the first of my children to experience this. She is wicked bright, but as the gaps in the children's ability become more apparent in the later years of primary it really takes a good school with efficient pastoral care to look after all the kids and build them up. If they aren't doing this, different camps will form IME. She was fortunate enough to get into a Selective Secondary (not our local school) with great pastoral care. It is still classified as a comp, but has a top stream and it's been different story there. The kids all strive to do their best and it is looked down on not to, whatever ability you are. But, I do think this comes from the heads, the teachers and the parents collectively. Didn't experience this at our primary school.

Kummerspeck Of course, if told they would have to do a book review (no other choice), then they would actually have to read a book at home....the school is simply facilitating this kind of anti-book dumbing down.

Our local school uses similar dumbing down tactics, offering choices of writing, making a poster, or drawing a storyboard or comic strip....

When my son was similar age, his class were given homework over a half term to write a report and review of a book, film, play, computer game, etc. I suggested he did a Philip Pullman Northern Lights book that he had read and loved but he told me he couldn't as the other boys would think he was a geek if he admitted he read at home. He wrote the review on a computer game as that was socially acceptable.

Unfortunately we live in a world that glorifies people like Jade Goody, TOWIE, etc and where it is viewed positively to do that jolly "I'm hopeless at maths" thing. It would be lovely if being intelligent was valued as much as being creative or sporty or popular but, sadly, it isn't

OP, sorry to hear about this - it is all too common. It sounds like your son is on the right track in terms of learning to ignore this sort of rubbish. At this level, while it might considered by some to be low level bullying, the best strategy, at least what I think, is to explain to him that a good plan is to just ignore the idiots and carry on doing what he is doing. If the twats get a reaction they keep going, if they get none they are more inclined to give up. That does not always work, but probably more often than not. I started off at a grammar school which turned into a comp in third year, so had three years before the respite of the 6th form weeding out. Being in more like-minded sets will help a lot.

I do take it seriously. Your language or your sons language is the beginnings of low level bullying. I wonder what conversations you had with you Ds regarding his opinion and language if any. I'm just calling a spade a spade. But at 52, if you think what you are expressing is ok, there is probably no changing you and you have probably stuck to your own kind and haven't been challenged on it by your peers.

It could reflect on the school, the child or a bit of both. Both my DSs are at a very selective high achieving secondary where it is cool to be 'good' at things be that academic, drama, music, sport, debating..However there are still cool kids, a bunch in the middle and a smaller number of boys that would probably fall under the geeky banner. Unfortunately teenage boys can be cruel so this may be less about not celebrating high standards. The school should stop any sort if nastiness though.

What a shame. I think it can be down to a mix of the school and the child. I went to a school where you were certainly sneered at for achieving anything and then moved on to a different school where I never saw any of that.

Notenoughsleep I'm 52 ....I really don't divide the world into nerds and geeks!
I'm stating the point of view of my 10year old.Some of my best friends were very nerdy at school.A very long time ago.....
F.Y.I. ds 2 is not unkind to other classmates.As a very bright boy himself he can appreciate brilliance in others.He just finds it very difficult to communicate with some.
Secondly I'm a bit puzzled. Considering you didn't start this thread you seem to be taking it somewhat more seriously than the op.

teta...I'm not being mean

Uhmm, Actually you are. It's like when people say 'No disrespect' and then say something insulting.

All people are different. All people have something to offer and are good at something. It takes tolerance and kindness to make those discoveries. Cutting people out just because they seem different than you only puts you further in a box and limits your expectations and aspirations. Applies to adults and children.

(Posted by accident ).... expect there to be a problem as he was 2nd in the year in the main Prelim (excluding the one boy who say his Nat 5 last year and was doing Higher Maths this year). Didn't do so well in the extra prelims they did just before the exams - but that was good as it stopped any complacency.

No Grammar Schools at all in Scotland. Schools (and kids) can still be competitive.

Ds (15) is desperate to have done well enough in his National 5 Maths exam to stay in the top set as it's reducing in size to 20. I don't actually expect there to be a probl

DS is at a grammar school and the boys are very competitive to be top of the class so I haven't seen this attitude. Long may it continue because it certainly motivates DS.

My kids too.GSs need to be rolled out!

Sometimes it's also down to the ethos that the headteacher creates/encourages at the school.

Ds' school (in Glasgow) has a wide mix of kids but what I like about it is that it seems to encourage achievement in many different spheres, not just academic.

It also regularly has kids going on to Oxbridge/Medicine/Law/Vet School.

Ds is in the top set for both Maths and English but there doesn't seem to be any nastiness towards those that are "geeky" or nerdy.

Sports and artistic achievements are also celebrated - as well as things like public speaking and volunteering.

DS is at a grammar school and the boys are very competitive to be top of the class so I haven't seen this attitude. Long may it continue because it certainly motivates DS.

Likewise with my son. He loves being in a competitive environment and hadn't ever complained about being called a swot or getting any kind of abuse from other kids for being towards the top of his class.

That's one of the reasons we encouraged him to aim for the grammar. I started off being swotty at my crap comp 40 years ago - usually top of the classes in the first year, but the bullying, name calling etc really got to me and I drifted downwards through the years until I ended up failing all but one of my O levels. No way was I going to let me son suffer like I did!

My children were very academic, and in all the sports teams. Neither of them were picked on for it. They did tend to hang round with very similar children.

They were at what MN calls a 'leafy comp'.

DS is at a grammar school and the boys are very competitive to be top of the class so I haven't seen this attitude. Long may it continue because it certainly motivates DS.

I think your son sounds lovely, Luna. Bloody well done to him for getting an award!

I agree with others, it's jealousy, pure and simple. Unfortunately us humans have a tendency to dislike it when others do better than us (a sweeping generalisation, I know there are many who don't feel this way!), and often that comes out in attitude towards the person doing well.

You're right though, it does seem that those who are good at sports are valued more than those who are good at intellectual things.

I agree with Troutsprout: it depends on the school. my DD she's top set in all subjects and best in her year at almost all sports related things. I was worried she would be teased when started Secondary but she just seems to be a popular kid among them with more admiration than jealousy or nastiness. She's in a girl school in London.

Gosh,i'm really not trying to be horrible.I have several kids and have posted on MN about many issues I've had over the years with said kids.
I've posted from the point of view of Ds2 who although bright wants nothing to do with 'nerds' in his class.He says they don't talk or communicate and he doesn't understand them,and they are different.I think he finds them threatening and he says they are only friends with other nerds.
I'm not being mean and I'm glad to hear that the op's son is happy and has friends in his school.The school sound unusually brilliant on his Pastoral care .As he grows up his social skills will definitely improve and he will learn how to behave.

I think it's mostly people feeling threatened. I went to a very 'high achieving' school and did well academically. The school encouraged us to be academically ambitious with various prizes etc, and this created a really competitive environment.

I did well and was bullied mercilessly by other 'high achievers', to the point where I started deliberately doing badly on tests so that they would leave me alone. I ended up moving schools.

I'm glad that your son isn't too badly affected.

teta what a horrible sweeping comment! At no point has the OP said that her son is a "know-all". I'm glad that your DC is popular and successful.