King's College London has acknowleged what many parents already know, some secondary state schools are far better than others. However, rather than exert pressure on the Government to reduce this gap by improving performance in the worst schools. King's College has accepted such failings and will adjust their intake accordingly. It "handicaps" pupils from leading state schools by requiring them to achieve higher A-level passes than are required for pupils from weaker state schools. It's effectively a horse race where the most able horses (pupils) are handicapped to make the race closer and 'fairer' for all the punters (parents).
If this practice is widespread, it should create some interesting new dilemmas for middle class parents playing the education system. Should they send their children to leading secondary schools only to take their exams in failing schools? Should they be fully educated in failing schools or continue at the leading schools and hope they are successful despite the handicap?
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2 comments:
The dilemma afflicts working class parents too. They also scrimp and scrape for a better education for their children and may make the loudest noise when the penny finally drops that their sacrifice is in vain.
The education madness continues...
AB
AB, that's a really good point. However, you don't often hear of working class parents playing the education system for some reason!! I believe there is also a surprising number who scrimp and save enough for their children to be educated privately. That's a massive sacrifice for parents with limited means.
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