Letter: Saving the comprehensive school ideal
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Tony Blair's commitment to ending mixed-ability teaching (report, 7 June) is to be welcomed, as is his continued commitment to the comprehensive ideal.
Comprehensives led to the extinction of the pernicious secondary moderns, and if they did nothing else would be worthwhile for this alone. However, they also achieved a social purpose, allowing children from all socioeconomic groupings the opportunity to work and play together. They also enabled gifted children in certain areas such as sport, art, music and drama the chance to fulfil themselves irrespective of their ability in the more academic subjects.
The failure of the system to fulfil many of the hopes at its inception is the result of the misguided attempt to introduce mixed-ability teaching; the greater emphasis on children "taking responsibility", which, sadly, resulted in many schools becoming pools of indiscipline; and the comprehensive schools being generally too large.
However, the the success of the comprehensive experiment can be judged by the Government's own league tables. Had such tables been published in 1960, say, how many secondary moderns would have featured?
STUART RUSSELL
Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments