Grammar Schools

I see the Left Wing Labour Party are up in arms about Grammar Schools they feel this type of education is elitist and for the well off. Strange how they never say the same about a University education? The prefer a one size fits all of the Comprehensive system which in my opinion has failed many youngsters.

Grammar Schools can be considered elitist and as someone who has been a World Gold and Silver medallist in Judo, Sambo and Jiu Jitsu I can claim to be a member of an elite group. Yet I am only elite in those particular disciplines something my parents and I recognised when I was young. Grammar Schools I feel are for those who are very academically minded one may call them an Elite in Academia and there development in life could be the way of academia and maybe eventually taking up a profession.

Now does that make people like me failures because I went to a Secondary Modern School (Westland’s)? NO all it meant many others and I were directed on a different educational path. Let me take my Judo scenario I was a successful Competitors yet other people have become successful Referees and Coaches BUT because the emphasis is on Competitive success it was Top Competitors who were considered the elite an unjust assumption in my opinion

All you hear or read in the Media is about people attending UNI even to the extent that as soon as a child born the parents start talking about WHEN X GOES TO UNI this is perpetuated by various Governments. Yet out of all my School friends only one went to University that low percentage was not unusual in the 1960’s as entrance exams were lot harder with few courses, the rest of us went on to successful careers most in Trades. Now most have retired on a reasonable pension in fact a couple have become Millionaires as for the one who went to University I lost contact with him but I am told he works in the Music industry.

My youngest Granddaughter Poppy has been accepted into the local Grammar and I am very proud of her but I am just as proud of my other Grand Children who have all turned out to be good kids.

My main point if you do not go Grammar or University it is no big deal you can still make something of your life. No matter what your education background is you need to be focused, work hard and do not sponge of society.

Finally the lefties say that it is only the well healed that can have private tuition rubbish my daughter paid for tuition for Poppy and she has gone through a divorce procedure, Myself and Valerie done the same for John and Susan when they were at Westland’s when they struggled with certain subject and I can assure you in 1988 both of us had very little money to spare. Yet if you want those extras you give up something else which not so important