Continuing Down the Rabbit Hole

Erin, Ontario, Continuation School, has been demolished in the past 2 years.

The Powell Memorandum leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. To see how one memo has effected all tiers of societies for generations and generations to come was outside my grasp. This week, I put Lewis Powell's paranoid (but unfortunately effective) memo down and I looked into the structure of United Kingdom's Grammar School system.

Currently there are less than 300 Grammar Schools left in the U.K. and Northern Ireland and at times the future of these schools face extinction depending on which political part has majority seats. The Grammar school system has been around since the 16th century in the U.K. But it was during the 19th and 20th century when the Grammar School became a beacon believed to lead working class children into a better way life than their parents had been afforded by their parents. It had become attainable and encouraged by the primary school system for children who showed academic potential, to their best in order to pass the 11 + and be accepted into a Grammar School.

During the early 20th century, children had to remain at school until the age of 14. The education system was split into primary and secondary.

The secondary school system was then further split based on academic merit:

Grammar Schools: Academics believed children would continue onto higher education.
Secondary Modern Schools: Children who go into the trades but would still receive basic education.
Technical Schools: Few were established.

The Grammar schools had a paid tuition structure but by the 1920's many Grammar schools were receiving a direct grant from the government that paid for one quarter of the places. These places were then given to children who pass the 11+ exam from the working class.

Although it was a great initiative, many students who were admitted to the Grammar schools faced hardships tuition fee paying students did not. I am sharing this as I believe its interesting that even despite the often inhibiting environment many working class students faced, many were able to complete their studies and become meaningful contributing members of society.

1. Many students had a sick or unable parent, the child needed to bring in income to support the family
2. Many students lived in undesirable family situations that didn't allow for the student to adequately study. (Shell shock from WW1, alcoholism, large families)
3. Although tuition and books were covered, extracurricular activities and transportation were not.

I found that many Grammar school students had  at least one parent supporting and encouraging their children. The students spoke of how their parent(s) encouraged self directed education. learnng, leadership and curiosity within them. There was a consensus among their parents and working class families during the time that if your child was able to go to Grammar school "the world is your oyster".

Grammar schools were sex segregated but the testing and environment were generally the same. Physical education was just as important as academics. Leadership and healthy competition were fostered by the house system and competitive sports and and absolute respect of elders was expected.Students could be fast tracked into university if deemed appropriate. Grammar schools went to great lengths to treat all students the same whether they were rich poor, fee paying or scholarship receiving. The Grammar schools were an Eden for working class children that offered a hope of change for their future.

With World War Two, most of the Grammar school teachers left to fight for the country. This dramatically changed the education environment. Especially when children from the cities were being evacuated to the villages because of the real fear of bombing. Many Grammar school students found the basic village school education to be too easy and a rift was created between these visiting Grammar School children. Those who stayed in low risk, smaller cities noticed their environment becoming more regimented as retired teachers returned to the classroom while the younger teachers fought on the front line.

In 1944 the Education Act was created, ensuring that every child had the chance to go to secondary school. Rad Butler the Education minister at the time stated that every student at every level had a right to secondary school education. At this time the Labour Party was elected into parliament and the Grammar Schools were to be done away with.

During the 1950's and 1960's Labour politicians and egalitarian educationalists took the position that selective education reinforced class division and middle class privilege. In 1965 the Grammar schools were then ordered to be phased out and the secondary comprehensive school would be phased in. The areas that changed quickest were those that had Labour party strong hold. In Conservative areas the Grammar schools remained but didn't expand. This is the current situation today with the Grammar Schools.

I don't find a problem with the structure of the Grammar schools and I especially found it admirable that efforts were made to maintain equality between the students by the teachers and administration. I don't buy into the Labour party's argument that the Grammar school's reinforce middle class privilege or class division. On the contrary. If the Labour party were worried about class division why wouldn't they just entirely publicly fund the schools, as there was already a successful system in place. By using the existing schools the method could be repeated and available for all students to have access to who could pass the 11+ exam.

Also Labour party politicians and egalitarian educationalists have called into question the 11+ exam and the types of questions that are asked on the exam. Concerned was raised over the fact the types of questions aren't covered in primary schools and only those children who have been intensely tutored can pass the exam. To that I believe there is a problem within the primary schools. I don't believe in teaching to test. But if you are worried students can't pass this exam that is a gateway to academics why isn't extra curricular tutoring made available to students. It seems these policies are reinforcing the class division among the people.

The Education Act of 1944 and the Powell Memorandum are two different policies that are linked by the government stripping education of its effectiveness with the want and success or making students and the population apathetic enough to feel defeated. Intelligent to keep society moving at an even pace (towards what is unsure) and dumb enough to keep us from seeing the real source of the problem.