English School Types: Academic Achievement


Figure 1.--Most of the boys completing prep school in England are now academically 1-2 years ahead of comparable children in the state system. Much of the debate over education in England, however, is not about results, but rather ideology.

Many English parents and educators have noted a discernable decline in both discipline and academic standards in English schools. The two of course are related in that unless a school has proper dscipline standards, even a small number of students can disrupt the academic program. The decline is notable especially in the state education system. A factor here has been the demise of the grammar schools, selctive secondary schools. This is part of an overall trend by left-wing educators to question the need for academic standards under tghe guise that they help to perpetuate class divisions and that failure can damage a child's self image. The result has been that students that now attend state schools now do much better on achievement tests. Thois discrepancy did not exist before the demise of the grammar school system. Many parents who did not attend private (independent schools) as children, now send their children to private schools if they can afford it. Educators can debate the philosophy/ideology involved. What an not be disputed is the academic results. Concerning academic standards there are two basic issues. First is the differences between selective (grammar school) and comprehensive education. Second is the difference between independent (private) and state education. Complicating the asessment is social class factors. There is no doubt, for example, that grammar schools and private schools produce superior results. The question is are those superior academic accomplishments the result of the school program or a reflection of the fact that few working-class or minority children attend grammar and private schools.

Standards

Quite a few readers have commented on the declining standards at English schools. Here they are speaking about declining academic and discipline standards. The two of course are intertwined. Education simply can not occur in a school and class that is not reasonably discuplined. Some of these aspects , especially discipline, are difficult to measure statistically. The general public feeling, however, is definitely that standards have declined.

An Educator's View: Declining Standards

A British educator writes, "Being totally honest I think it's something right across the board but it is certainly far more evident in state schools. The bottom line for independents is that if they don't provide what the parents want they go under except in a few cases where the senior management manage to pull the wool over peoples (parents) eyes or where the snobbery of a name comes into play. Parents will often go without a great deal to ensure their child gets a solid education, good exam results, no worries about teachers strikes or unruly pupils disrupting lessons and so on. Within boarding they also pay for standards to be set regarding work ethic, manners, leadership and team skills etc What are perceived as real values and skills for life over and above the purely academic. In that sort of environment and that sort of parental backing standards are going to be higher."

Declining Standards

I don't think there is much else you could say other than standards appear to have nose-dived over the intervening years. I would not paint every child in a bad light as most are decent and good but there is a significant minority who seem to have total disregard for others or even themselves. Fortunately the majority of parents and schools have not gone too PC and with the recent craze for behaviour programmes on the TV, changes in the law and social changes do seem to be keeping the status quo at present.

Selective Education

Selective education has been a major issue in English schools. The debate here is primarily tied up with the country class system and efforts to expand educational opportunity to working-class children. The country during the 1970s largely dismanteked the grammar school or selective system. This was not done on the basis of academic studies assessing approriate educational policy. It was largely done on the basic of social ideology. It was thought that separating children by ability disadvabtaged the less able cgildren. It was also thought that the separation was more of a class separation than an ability separaion. The grammar schools were not completely abolished, but this was done by most local education authorities (LEAs).

Grammar Schools and Gifted Children

There are only a few areas in England which still have grammar schools. (See the BBC link about different types of schools.) I do believe that Grammars were a bad thing in stigmatising at age 11 but what was brought in to replace them was far worse as it did not look after the brighter children. Labour also abolished the Assisted Places Scheme which enabled many children to take advantage of the indepent sector. What is now happening is for some independents to offer some teaching to local state students in specialist subjects and the Government looking at ways of placing SOME children in the care system into boarding schools to boost their stability and educational attainment. None of our political parties can resist interfering with the system over here and that is a major reason why parents who can manage it turn to private education or home schooling. There is a very recent trend towards looking to help the more gifted pupils in the state system but its too little too late and they still prefer to spend millions on the lower end of the attainment ladder as it looks better on tables and charts!

Comparing Results

Most English school authorities have done away with grammar schools. But a number still exist. I don't know of studies which compared the grammar schools in their hay day with secondary moderns. There are some studies comparing modern grammars and comprehensives. The achievement data based on results in standardized tests show that children of comparable abilities get better results at grammar schools. The data clearly shows this. What is less clear is just why they do better. A study by Bristol University Centre for Market and Public Organisation found that grammar school students do better than comparble (in academic ability) students at comprehensive schools. The researchers found that the difference in especially notable among students from less affluent families. The problem is that the students at surviving grammar schools are predominately middle class with relarively few children from less affluent families. The researchers looked at the 19 education authorities out of a total of 150 that still have grammar or other selective schools. Here the situation is complicated because some English schools have retained their former titles, such as grammar schools, but are really comprehensives. The children in the authorities which retain selective education take a test in their primary schools when they are about 10 years old. (It was referred to as the "11 plus". About 25 percent of the children do well enough to be assigned to grammar or comparablde selctive secondary schools. The Bristol researchers claim that the small group of less-affluent children who manage to earn a place in a grammar school are te children who most benefit from the grammar school program. According to the researchers, "The paradox is that, for the minority of poor children who do gain a place in a grammar school, the advantage this bestows appears to be greater than for more affluent children," Ironically, one of the reasons that the grammar school system was done away with in most autjorities was to better educate low income students. The researchers maintain that pro- and anti-selection proponents overstate their contentions. The data, however, is revealing. The quarter of the children educated in grammar schools achieve substantially better results in standadized tests than students in comprehensives and other non-selective schools. By substantial the researchers report 0.5 grade points. This means scores of 3.5 GCSEs. (The GSCE is the General Certificate of Secondary Education.) This means raising results from grade C to B. The 75 percent who went to comprehensives were disadvantaged by 0.5 grade points. What is difficult to sort out is wether the variation in results is due to the school program or the varying social mix of the schools. The reserchers write, "In part these effects stem from the substantive under-representation of poorer and special-needs children in grammar schools." [Atkinson, Gregg and McConnell.] Another factor is the culture of the school resulting from the different social mix.

Family expectations

What they can not say without quantifiable data is that those students at Grammar schools from lower income families will often have more social pressure from families to do well and best utilise the opportunity. Parents from middle class & more affluent type backgrounds are by and large quite pushy in this regard but tend to see Grammar School education as more of the norm and although placing 'weight' upon it do not see it as quite as big an added opportunity. Although there is a definite result shown from the data it is relatively small. Interesting none the less. It would be very interesting to see similar studies undertaken comparing the other school types. I would not expect many independents wishing to get involved in that but from a purely observational and non-scientific stance I would be inclined to believe similar results would show through. Parental/family support, expectations and pressure can be highly positive things so long as not taken to excess; these same values being something very evident in all good independent schools but not always in evidence at state schools.

Peer pressure

Another factor to be considered is peer pressure. Toung people have a lot of things coming at them. And the popular media has increased this for modern children. Here academics and school work has a hard time competing. We suspect this is especially true in comprehensives which have many children with absolutely no interest in academics. This school culture can affect children with academic ability. Part of the logic of comprehensive education is that educating children of all abilities together would help motivate working-class children. The problem with this logic, however, is that academics is a tough sell for school age children. There are a lot of activities that have a lot more appeal to this age group and the long term advantages are not always a sufficent motivation. What is more likely to occur is that children with ability are drawn away from academics. The school culture in a selective school like a grammar school can be much more supportive of academics. Of course even in grammar schools there are competing pressures. I am not sure id there have been academic studies on the impct of peer pressure in grammar schools or comprehensives or even just how you would go about assessing this.

Independent Education

Independent (private) education has been another major issue in English schools. England has one of the largest indepebndent sectors in the world. This was in part because of the low quality of many state schools. Social class was another factor, but countries like Germany and France also had strong class systems yet the state schools were so good that even affluent parents commonly sent their children to the state schools. Again the debate is tied up with the country class system and efforts to expand educational opportunity to working-class children. The independent system today reports substantially higher academic results than the state system. This is clearly evident in the results of standardized tests. What is less clear is the degree to which this reflects the academic program or the varying social-class make up of the different schools. Unlike the grammar schools, it is not possible in a free society to abolish independent education. The Government did, however, in the 1970s and 80s end state programs supporting independent schools. One of the most impotant steps was ending the assisted places scheme. This debate has not ended. Policy makers now are reconsidering government policy toward uindependent schools.

Sources

Atkinson, Adele, Paul Gregg and Brendon McConnell. "The Result of 11 Plus Selection: An Investigation into Opportunities and Outcomes for Pupils in Selective LEAs," (Bristol University Centre for Market and Public Organisation, 2007). LEAS mean Local Education Authorities. Americans would call a LEA a school district.






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Created: 9:40 PM 4/8/2007
Last updated: 12:36 AM 4/11/2007