strawberrybubblegum
Thank you very much: Yes David Betz gives us a lot to to think about . For me the deliberate poising of peoples minds about the United Kingdom's past glory's goes hand in hand with the destruction of the Education system. This, for me was the 'abolition' of the Grammar School system (flaws we come back to that later) which was the 'left's' first battle in their ongoing War of wanton destruction against society. We are some sixty years done that pathway, now and we are now fighting for are very 'survival' as a nation and not a construct of a dormitory for everybody in the World to 'doss' in.
Regarding, Grammar schools in England, the system where it worked probably provided children with an education equal if not better than the Private Schools they chose to copy. Where, it failed was to enable bright children with specific learning difficulties, such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia to use it. I was obviously very lucky due to a Grammar school teacher mother, and very focused 13 year old 'academic' motivated elder sister, who drilled in to me what i needed to pass the 11+ in Kent. I remember my mother and sister telling me, taking it was important because you have to attempt things that are difficult, because you only achieve through failure. Perhaps, I was lucky because by then, we were in a very Wealthy Financial position due to my fathers en-devours, and if i failed would have ended up at the Local Prep school. That's not the point though , because i passed and notably hobbled along at the bottom of the Grammar School for my journey there. My Mum and Sister, knowing that although it was difficult for me academically, due in the 1980's to no understanding or allowances for Dyslexia/Dyspraxia Autism that i would pull through. I make up 'stories' about how 'slow' i was at the Grammar school and how poor my GCSE/ A level results were, but in hindsight they got me to Keele University. Well done to my Grammar School and the head of Sixth Form who was more thrilled for me than the 2 girls who got in to Oxford that year.
Today, grammar schools have the technology skills SEN teachers and the knowledge to enable children with academic abilities, to thrive away from the chaos of a mainstream Comprehensive.
It is therefore not relevant to hark back to a time when Grammar schools separated the 'wheat' from the chaff which maybe it did in the 1960's because opportunities and life's are not so determined by an 11+ exam. That, however was no reason to destroy the great schools, rather should have been a reason to make all schools great.
However, there are currently a large no of children who could benefit at 11 from a non academic pathway, a vocational structure leading in to the world of work at 15/16. They, are not doing themselves any favor's, nor the country, so perhaps Secondary Modern schools that actually taught trades would be right for these left to 'rot' children.