Figure 1.--This cartoon captures the essence of how modest income parents viewed their sons earning a place at a grammar school. Note that this is set in the pre-World War II era before Britain opened state grammar schools and the boys did not need scholarship money to attend. |
The English grammer school was in many ways a very democratic institution. Admission was based on ability as measured by performance on the 11 plus examination. HBC has been impressed by the numbers of Brits thatvwe have encountered with grammar school rather than public school educations. The grammar school was the object of a ideolgical attack by Britain's left-oriented Labour Party. Labour felt that age 11 was was to young to allow a test to determine a child's future. They also objected to separate clever (Brit english for bright) children from less academically capable children. The demise of the frammar school, however, can not be blamed entirely on Labour. Actually the British politician presided over the demise of more grammar schools than any other was Margaret Thatcher, then serving as Education Minister in the Heath government (1970-74). In other words, comprehensivisation had by then become the received wisdom and the Conservative Party was equally culpable in the destruction of the grammar schools. Grammar schools remain in the odd county such as Kent that steadfastly resisted the central edicts. HBC wonders if that clever children from less affluent families have a better chance at accelling academically at a traditional grammar school or the American-style comprehensives that replaced them. This is certainly a matter open to debate, but few can deny that the grammar schools provided a first rate education to the boys that suceeded in qualifying for admission.
The English grammer school was in many ways a very democratic institution. Admission was based on ability as measured by performance on the 11 plus examination.
The grammar school and similar institutions in other European countries provided a quality education. After the 1944 reforms in secondary education, the grammar schools were open to boys who could not formerly afford them--if they did well on a selection test, the 11 plus exam. Few question the effectivness of the grammar school or the quality of instruction they offered. Essentially the grammar school enabled clever boys from families of modest means to obtain an education comparable to that offerd at expensive private schools. In fact, many grammar schools withour embarassment sought to copy the ethos of the elite public schools (exclusive private schools). Part of this was the attention to school uniforms. The grammar schools often insisted on a destinctive uniform and demanded that boys wear it correctly. This isnot to say thatvsecondary moderns did not have uniforms and that some did not give attentuiin to them. It is probably safe to say, however, that generalky the grammar schools were much striv\cter about the uniform than the secondary moderns. HBC has been impressed by the numbers of Brits, and the quality of their education, that we have encountered with grammar school rather than public school educations.
Parents of boys selected for the grammar school were very proud of their sons. In mamy cases these were modest income parents that wanted more for their chilodren than they could afford to provide. They knew that the grammar school offered the opportunity of a professional careet. They would usually want him to wear his school uniform to church or other occasions to show that their son had been selected. Some parents, especially weorking class parents woried that their sons might become "to posh" and begin tomlook downnon their parents.
The grammar school was the object of a ideolgical attack by Britain's left-oriented Labour Party. Labour felt that age 11 was was to young to allow a test to determine a child's future. They also objected to separate clever (Brit English for bright) children from less academically capable children. They were probably right that it was middle class boys that could take advantage of what the grammar school offered. Working class boys often did not get the support with academics that was necessarybif they were to do well. The question though is not whether a selective system is perfect, but whether it succedded better at educating boys than the alternative--in this case the comprehensive system.
The demise of the grammar school, however, can not be blamed entirely on Labour. Actually the British politician presided over the demise of more grammar schools than any other was Margaret Thatcher, then serving as Education Minister in the Heath government (1970-74). In other words, comprehensivisation had by then become the received wisdom and the Conservative Party was equally culpable in the destruction of the grammar schools. Grammar schools remain in the odd county such as Kent that steadfastly resisted the central edicts.
HBC wonders if that clever children from less affluent families have a better chance at accelling academically at a traditional grammar school or the American-style comprehensives that replaced them. HBC can but wonder, where will a bright boy from a family of modest means do better, in a grammar school or comprehensive. A corelary question is by mixing boys together will the bright students be incoirage the weaker students to do better or will there be a dumbing down of the instructional program. This question of course needs a serious educational assessment, but HBC's preliminary assessment is that bright boys are exosed to attitudes and behavior that does not support a focus on academics. Also the weaker studentys do not appear to bebefit greatly by being mixed in with more academically able students. This is all certainly a matter open to debate, but few can deny that the grammar schools provided a first rate education to the boys that suceeded in qualifying for admission.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer
[School sandals