The movement for comprehensive education was born out of idealism. The belief that no child should be denied the right to a decent education and that deciding their fate at 11 was wrong. Those of us who support these principles have kept silent perhaps a bit too long and assumed that those principles are widely accepted. We could not believe that anyone would want to turn the clock back or to have a system that essentially denies an education to those who want it.
My home authority Salford is a good example of the progress that has been made since these dark days. Essentially a handful under the old system gained qualifications and went on to higher education. Last year 85.7% of Salford children achieved five or more good GCSE’s. Whilst including English and Maths all Salford High School were above the national floor standard of 35% with three quarters of schools securing over 50% of their pupils achieving this target.
In this we reflect what has been achieved since comprehensive education became the norm. Thanks to Miller for these statistics they make remarkable reading –
1. Six times as many pupils get five or more good GCSE’s as the equivalent in 1968
2. Five times as many go onto University in the equivalent period
3. The proportion of entrants from state schools to Oxford has doubled since 1961
The Secretary of State is fond of quoting the OECD so he will no doubt be aware of this “on average school systems with greater levels of inclusion have better overall outcomes and less inequality.”
If then the case for comprehensive education is
so strong why the consistent attempts from the right to rubbish it?
so strong why the consistent attempts from the right to rubbish it?
At its most extreme there are those who believe that the role of British Education is to separate the sheep from the goats. They believe that the role of the system is to grade people and that failure is a necessary part of life. We only have to look at those systems across the world that are successful to realise that is not the case. But there is a wider none sinister aspect of this. For some it is about creating a sort of educational gated community.
It represents the increasing polarisation of our life and their concern that they want their children to mix with the right sort.
Reality is of course that we need to deal with those concerns. There are many shining examples of successful comprehensives. Even the current controversy about academies ignores the fact that virtually all are comprehensives. We need to proclaim the fact that a successful comprehensive is about high standards for all not about levelling down.
Harold Wilson once spoke about comprehensive education meaning the chance for all to get to a grammar school. Its time to confront those who would turn the clock back and restate the mission of excellence for all.
