I see this notion of there being " bright underachieving" ( what class?) children denied "opportunity" because other children are tutored - but is there any real evidence for it?
I know the govt and Rowntree roll out figures for the under representation of such children in places like grammar schools but I do not think that is the same thing. Maybe, if we are honest, a large number of these children are sumply not under achieving but lack basic ability? I know its not nice to suggest it but I recall in my old very w/c secondary modern that most of the children we could identify as belonging to this " social class" were in fact not underachieving.
I will say here, I was not "underachieving" either. I was just misplaced.
There is a link between social class and educational sucess and achievement but it is cultural. Maybe we need to stop all this multi cultural valuing all equally and recognise that some cultural values are likely to lead to achievement and promote that and that alone?
So if you want to achieve you find the "right" culture. If not, Ok, but lets not go around talking of under achievement in such situations.
(this btw is at the heart of why I would never place my DS in the state system - he just would not fit in the bog standard state comp in this country).