Why is academic achievement STILL scoffed at?

[LunaLoveg00d]

Quite cross on behalf of my son, although he doesn't care a jot. He is in first year at the local state Secondary. He has just turned 13 so is one of the oldest in his year (we're in Scotland) and the school he is at is very good - one of the top 5 or 6 in Scotland in the state sector and regularly sends pupils on to Oxbridge, medicine or law courses.

Son is very academic. He is a sponge for things like science and history, but on the flip side can't draw for toffee and is completely useless at sport. Last week he came home with a letter saying he's got some sort of award at prize giving and the ceremony is next week. He is delighted and we're very pleased for him.

The other kids in the class not so much. They are sneering about "teachers' pet" awards, calling him a nerd, geek or swot, and basically saying they wouldn't be seen dead in an awards ceremony. I am sure that if my child was being given a place on the football team or winning awards for painting or drama the reaction would be quite different.

Luckily my son has zero social skills so couldn't care less what other people are saying about him. I do think though that in a high-achieving school, where many of the parents are in professional jobs and have been through higher education, that this sort of attitude is really depressing. It's not changed in the 30 years since I was at a crap comp and being bullied for handing in homework on time.

Why is low academic achievement something so many teens seem to aspire to??

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.

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.

School have good pastoral care and kids have plenty of people they can turn to if any sort of bullying starts. They are also now streamed for Maths, and will be soon for Science and English, and next year when they pick their options for exams he will be with more "like minded" people I would hope.

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.

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.

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

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....

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

Any teenager is going to take the path of least resistance and do the "easy" task of making a poster rather than writing a book review. I can understand exceptions being made for SEN students who just couldn't do the task the rest of the class has been set, but when it comes to "real life", employers don't often give you the choice of what you fancy doing.

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.

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.