This week Michael Gove has outlined aims to break the ÔÇÿBerlin WallÔÇÖ between public schools and private schools. ┬áThese aims could potentially lead to an increase in testing, including entrance exams to public schools, the extension of school hours to up to ten-hour days and shortening school holidays. While many have praised these plans for their egalitarian approach, Mr Gove has perhaps not considered the full effects that this proposal could have on teachers, students and parents if this fulfilled.
One of the defining factors of a private school education is the small class size. In order to function, private schools must be selective about who is admitted and class sizes must be kept small in order to allow each student to be given enough attention by their teacher. In order to improve public schools, class sizes need to be reduced so that every child is treated as an individual. To do so would involve training more teachers, and opening more schools, developments that would cost in the billions; not to mention the need to accommodate more pupils in the future due to our ever increasing population. The introduction of entrance exams to public schools would allow them to be more selective about who they admit, but what happens to those who donÔÇÖt make the cut? Increased selectivity in public schools would create more divisions between the ÔÇÿgoodÔÇÖ public schools and the ÔÇÿbadÔÇÖ public schools, undermining Mr GoveÔÇÖs proposal to make the standard of education equal to all.
The increase in examinations also raises other issues. Exams shouldnÔÇÖt act as the education systemÔÇÖs only indicator of intelligence, knowledge and skill. Some pupils maybe very good at remembering large chunks of information for a short period of time, but that does not mean that they have learnt that information. Under pressure, when I did exams at college, I could very quickly memorise large amounts of information. Now I wonÔÇÖt be able to tell you the similarities and differences between a eukaryotic cell and a prokaryotic cell off the top of my head. In my opinion using exams to test intelligence is like asking a monkey and an elephant to climb a tree. A monkey will excel at this while an elephant will fail, not because it is not clever enough to do so but because it does not have the adaptations to climb a tree. I think the best way to allow public schools to compete with private schools is to encourage a love of learning within pupils, to help them succeed, instead of constantly testing them. Also an increase in discipline in all schools would provide pupils with a better working environment, where they can concentrate and not be disrupted by unruly behaviour from other pupils.
Aside from pupils, Gove also neglects what effects these proposals could have on teachers. Although many believe that teachers work six hour days along with weekends and school holidays off, this is very rarely the case. School hours for teachers can range from anything between 7am- 6pm, along with school productions, parents evenings, detentions and meetings; not to mention ÔÇÿhomeworkÔÇÖ which includes marking, paper-work and lesson planning to be done in the evenings and at the weekends. Extending school hours would mean even less time for lesson-planning and marking, and therefore will lead to a decline in the quality of marking and teaching due to longer hours. The children and parents will obviously be heavily affected by longer hours, particularly younger children. Although this plan maybe more convenient for parents who work long hours, we must also remember that teachers are not babysitters. Their job is to teach and provide pastoral care whenever it is needed, not to act as surrogate mothers and fathers. They should be responsible for children only for normal school hours, after that it is up to the parents.
To conclude, although Michael GoveÔÇÖs proposal seems an ideal plan, I donÔÇÖt agree with the assertion that a familyÔÇÖs wealth should determine the quality of education given to a child. However, our current economic climate and increasing population cannot support the opening of new schools and training new teachers in order to provide better quality teaching for everyone. If this plan, however, is to succeed, we must consider the effects that this will have on both teachers and pupils as we need to take into account things such as working hours for both. Yet there are other things that can be addressed to improve the standard of education in public schools such as better discipline in schools and encouraging pupils to enjoy learning as opposed to constantly testing them.
Grace Atkins
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