Boris Johnson

[Khandro]

I have supported him for a long time, but am beginning to wonder, my question now is; Is he a jerk?

[emmie]

they still exist Bobbi, but only in a relatively small number

[emmie]

163 i think was the figures i was looking at earlier.

[Bobbisox1]

Thanks Emmie x

[theshedman]

Doesn't really make sense diddly, "there were no comprehensive schools when I was at school so that wasn't an option". So did all children leave school after primary as there was no other option. They had secondary schools back then they would have just been called by a different name just as comprehensive schools are often called colleges these days. It seems you had a good education so why do you want to stop others having similar to what you had.

[theshedman]

Forgot to put that parents will always want the best education for their children so having a choice should always be good.

[emmie]

agree wholeheartedly ^^

[diddlydo]

Shedman - you really are out of touch. When I took the 11-Plus in 1960 there were 2 types of schools in my area called Grammar Schools and Secondary Modern Schools, the latter being for those who "failed" the 11-Plus. In the area where I live now there are Grammar Schools and so-called "High or Upper Schools" and everyone knows that they're Secondary Modern Schools with a less offensive name - they are certainly not comprehensive schools. Happily where I actually live is in a cross-border situation so my children were able to go to an excellent comprehensive school 2 miles away rather than travelling 10 miles to a Grammar School.

[emmie]

but if the Grammar had been better for the children would you have sent them there.

[Old_Geezer]

I was never impressed by the variable teaching standard at the comprehensive. Plus it catered for far too many pupils so couldn't or wouldn't spend the individual time encouraging individuals as it should. More like processing the masses. Much better to identify talent so they can be stretched, while those not exhibiting higher than normal ability can be taken along at a slower pace to achieve the best they can.

[theshedman]

So what you are saying diddly is if you were not bright enough you went to a "Secondary Modern School" (comprehensive). Then you say that you sent your children to one of them. If you had the choice then why not allow others to have the same. There are many really good comps but also some very average ones, so if you lived in an area which had an average one and a grammar which would you send your children to.

[diddlydo]

In what sense "better"?

[emmie]

higher educational standards. better

[diddlydo]

Shedman - Secondary Modern schools were not "comprehensive" by definition - how difficult is it for you to grasp that?

[diddlydo]

Emmie - the comprehensive school where my children went had and still has very high educational standards. Had this not been the case my son would not have emerged with 5 Grade As at A-level (there was no A* grade then) which he followed up with a 1st from an excellent university.

[theshedman]

diddly the "Secondary Modern schools were not comprehensive". The school that was a secondary modern where I now live is the comp or college as they now call it. All classed as secondary schools.

[emmie]

put it this way then if the local school wasn't up to scratch academically speaking would you then have sent them to the grammar school.

[Peter Pedant]

// It seems you had a good education so why do you want to stop others having similar to what you had.//

and convert it to - everyone gets a bad one
instead of the obvious
and everyone gets a good one

I was at school when the great education diktat was given
by Shirley Williams
and even at the time no one thought - "and everyone gets to go to a grammar school!"
they all thought - oo-er

but it was also - we arent really discussing this are we - coincident with the teachers making a great marxist leap into the dark
( and really shooting themselves in the foot big time - really big time)

[Peter Pedant]

// put it this way then if the local school wasn't up to scratch academically speaking//

nope - you had to get there by passing the 11+ ( or the little used 13+) and THAT was not intended to be easy

( weird - I took and passed the 11+ and got an interview ( details available on request) and then was offered a place at a comp because there was nt a grammar in the vicinity.
And at 11 I thought hold it is there any point in testing kids if they are gonna go to the same skool anyway?
oh well there is an eleven y old know all for you)

so - - - there is some rewriting of history here on the level of Crown

[diddlydo]

Shedman - I don't know if you're being deliberately obtuse or not. I really fail to understand why you appear not to appreciate what Secondary Modern Schools were/are.

[emmie]

if your children had passed the 11 plus would you have sent them to a Grammar school. If that had higher educational standards