The exam season comes to a close. Who won? Who lost? Who’s clever and who’s not?
But what is clever? Aren’t all pupils potentially clever? Or is it rationed out to the few? Can you buy it? Does a grade 9 GCSE mean you’re terrifically clever? Or a robot? What happens to very bright children in our schools?
These questions were prompted by reading The Sixties by Jenny Diski. A sometime teacher, she initially embraced its idealisms but became very disillusioned: “Why did we punish the brighter kids for not being underprivileged,” she asks brutally. “Punish”? That’s a bit harsh. We didn’t, not in my school. Teaching the brightest children – and my goodness so many were so bright – was a real pleasure. We were free to teach anything. The open-ended exams saw to that.
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here