Interesting indictment of our school system

[UnquietDad]

In the Indie today

It seems to be an article about "Big Brother" but it's not really.

I'm not sure I agree with him that these people are actually intelligent. Anyone who has never heard of Shakespeare and believes dinosaurs to be contemporary with humans IS either thick or ill-educated - or maybe he is right, that they simply don't want to learn new things and don't see the point of it.

There are HUGE gaps in my knowledge - whenever I watch "University Challenge" I'm reassured that, while my literature, history and science are reasonably robust, my art and classical music, for example, are both wretched. What this makes me want to do is get a good history of art book and mug up on it, and listen to more Radio 3. I can't see the point of revelling in one's ignorance.

Interesting article, but there has alway been a culture of anti-estblishment/anti-learning/cool-to-be-dumb.

i like to think of myself as intelligent, but i don't know everything and it's unfair to think that people can.

to some ignorance is bliss, because then what happens to them is becuase of other people and is never their fault.

what gordon brown should be saying is that schools should inspire the commitment to learn. learning is fun and exciting. do you get that in schools today? i'm not sure.

I do agree with the author that comprehensive schools need to be really comprehensive, so that there is no social segregation and that everyone is encouraged to strive and make the best of their talents and aptitudes.

Our local system seems to achieve that. No selection by postcode or house price or ability or whatever, so that the intake of the secondary schools really is comprehensive. But despite that, results are good, well above what the intake would suggest.

Have to say, I agree with UnquietDad - there is no excuse for anyone of that age not knowing who Shakespeare was. Even the least academic students are still exposed to some Shakespeare, even in a really watered-down way or even if they have only watched one of Kenneth Branagh's films at school. Even at our primary school the children study a bit of Shakespeare. People might not like Shakespeare, some might still find him 'boring', but not to have heard of him?

I think judging a population by the margins (and God knows they select outliers for this type of programme) is dodgy.

But I do agree about the value of truly comprehensive schools. I went to one, and have taught in one (only one, the rest really weren't comprehensive) and although it is very hard to break through social/cultural barriers, some semblance of a culture of success can be established.