The 11 Plus

Philosophically, the defence of a selective Grammar school education is problematic, however, one recent report in the media isn't difficult to counter. It has been said that the 11 Plus, the aeons-old entrance exam which traditionally siphoned off the clever from the no-so-clever in Year 6 of primary school, has a success rate based merely on affluence.

I could use my own experience to counter this claim. The argument is that only richer families can afford the tutoring that is required for success in the test. However, what this neglects to acknowledge is the scores of families up and down the country who go through this revision procedure with their children for free, my own father being one of them. I remember in the three months or so before the exam being sat down regularly by him to sit practice papers while he did his best to explain to me the intricacies of decimals and fractions. I might also add that at no point did I do this under 'duress'. There was no pushy parenting involved (which may be the case if tuition is paid for) and it was fimly my decision about whether I took the exam in the first place.

Now I recognise that an equality of opportunity argument still exists. Theorists would argue that, although my family did not have an unfair wealth advantage, a child of my background benefitted from having a stable nuclear family. Many able pupils would never have the opportunity of a Grammar school education because they are unfortunate enough to be born into a family that does not offer the stable environment under which the preparation for the transition to Grammar school could be achieved (i.e., formative equality of opportunity).

I'll leave it to governments to achieve substantive equality of opportunity. In the meantime, it needs to be realised that money alone does not buy success.