Selective independants

[poppydoppy]

Do they look better on League tables because the standard of teaching is better or just because they select the children most likely to do well?

!8.4% grammar for 2012 entry to Oxford.

18.4%, not !8.4%

socareless the 'divisive' system doesn't stop comprehensive schools doing that, and indeed all state sixths than I am aware of do do that these days.

I do not think you are barred from Oxbridge/Russell group if you come from a comprehensive school, although I can see there may well be a more visible, and thus useful, tradition of going to one of those universities at a grammar school - since grammar schools were initially set up precisely to set children up on that path.

Socareless, it doesn't. Obviously.

That's why I was talking about brave and radical thinking. And why I said I don't know what needs to be done. But something has to happen, unless we are happy with the status quo. Some are happy, obviously- but surely many aren't?

There are, I thnk about 3000 state secondary schools in the UK. And around 160 grammars. Puts the admissions figures into some sort of context, I feel.

164

Well I know what I would do, given licence and unlimited power, but then I always get harrowing pictures painted for me about how the parents of children at public schools will mow down the barbed wire and run past the armed guards I've apparently installed to storm their way back in again - and failing that, they will all either send their children abroad or home educate them to avoid state education

Educate all the children together instead of sending them to schools based on their parents' wealth or their intelligence at 11. Then we'll see who's really the brightest and the best!

Won't that mean that clever children will have to stand next to less clever ones in the lunch queue, though, TOSN?

Not for long, they'll soon be pushed to floor and have their heads kicked in!

Anyway, luckily for me I am neither a politician nor a writer of convincing, carefully realized utopian fiction, so I am free not to outline in minute detail how this will work .

Seeker You are the only person I ever see mentioning lunch queues though. None of my kids ever stand in a lunch queue. Packed lunches. They sit outside in the rain. :( (Or refugee to the practice rooms in the case of DD1 or the homework room in the case of DS)

Russians the lunch queue thing originated on another such thread a while back, where someone commented that setting in comprehensives wasn't enough to combat the fact that the less intelligent children would resent the brighter ones, and would still see them at lunch time when they would kick their heads in etc.

Mine have given up on lunch queues and take packed lunches every day. sick of getting their heads kicked in

Sorry, Russian- I really shouldn't keep saying it. But a well known mumsnetter actually expressed that concern, in so many words, and I was so gobsmacked that I can't help myself. I promise never to say it again. I'll use the "I couldn't throw ds to the wolves" quotation instead!

Wow I am so glad that you are not in politics then or have any influence tosn and seeker. It would be a criminal offence to look after your child i suppose.

Yes, yes it obviously would, socareless That is the logical conclusion of what I have said, well done.

Sorry, socareless- don't understand.

Seeker I think most of your hatred for successful/MC people stems from your disappointment about your DS. Your posts tend to let thing slip like your recent post about uni destination of his SM.
If comps are not encouraging their top sets for to apply for the better uni why would you want this system for the whole country? Why on earth can't comps emulate the GS s?

I didn't "let it slip". I used it as an example. I don't hate successful/MC people- it would be a tad ironic if I did!

And yes. I think that the comprehensive schools should take the best of what the grammar schools do. And that all children should go to them.
That would be a start!

Refer to your post of 14:16:51 TOSN, it game me the creeps.

Why does the idea of all children being educated together give you the creeps?

... It gave.... Not game.

No the idea forcing people to use a particular service designed as an experiment SEEKER ! You really do have a chip don't you.

Most of the parents on the thread are happy with the schools they have chosen of various kinds. We don't need to dumb every school down to the lowest Soviet style denominator and ensure no one does very well by packing very child into the schools of the type which most fail surely just because of jealousy?

Oh, Xenia, even by your standards that is a post of monumental stupidity.

Not at all. The comprehensives have not done particularly well. The private schools have. Selective schools do pretty well in the state sector. So the fewer comps there are the better. It is a pity state schools in most areas are not allowed to select on academic ability although they can at 16+.