INTENSITY²

Politics, Mature and taboo => Political Pundits => Topic started by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 10:06:04 AM

Title: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 10:06:04 AM
I was digging around on that petition site, and found this one: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/CloseAllGrammars/
I think its a pretty interesting idea myself, and think it would probably be a good one, especially if private schools were ditched at the same time. Thoughts?
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 11:22:29 AM
it's not gonna happen anytime soon
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 11:28:27 AM
it's not gonna happen anytime soon
I wouldn't be so sure about that. Both major parties are now official against them.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: The_P on December 15, 2007, 11:30:13 AM
Um, no: survival of the fittest (the elites of society) and all that jazz.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 11:39:21 AM
Um, no: survival of the fittest (the elites of society) and all that jazz.
I wouldn't call grammars anything but giving artificial leg ups to certain people who often don't deserve them. Both major political parties are in consensus, the question is do you agree with getting rid of them?
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: The_P on December 15, 2007, 11:41:10 AM
Um, no: survival of the fittest (the elites of society) and all that jazz.
I wouldn't call grammars anything but giving artificial leg ups to certain people who often don't deserve them. Both major political parties are in consensus, the question is do you agree with getting rid of them?

I think that everyone should have the right to get a good education, and not just for the privileged fucktards in their fancy mansions.

Does this answer your query?
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: duncvis on December 15, 2007, 11:45:27 AM
i dont think it will make a blind bit of difference tbh. the middle classes will still use their greater ability to play the system to get their kids into high performing 'magnet' schools anyway.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 11:47:53 AM
Um, no: survival of the fittest (the elites of society) and all that jazz.
I wouldn't call grammars anything but giving artificial leg ups to certain people who often don't deserve them. Both major political parties are in consensus, the question is do you agree with getting rid of them?

I think that everyone should have the right to get a good education, and not just for the privileged fucktards in their fancy mansions.

Does this answer your query?
Pretty much. Are you going to sign the petition.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 11:49:55 AM
i dont think it will make a blind bit of difference tbh. the middle classes will still use their greater ability to play the system to get their kids into high performing 'magnet' schools anyway.
Getting rid of grammar schools would be a step in the right direction. If they carry on playing the system, then further steps can be taken. (i know if i was in charge i would play one massive hand to sort the whole thing out, so everyone does well).
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: The_P on December 15, 2007, 11:50:53 AM
Um, no: survival of the fittest (the elites of society) and all that jazz.
I wouldn't call grammars anything but giving artificial leg ups to certain people who often don't deserve them. Both major political parties are in consensus, the question is do you agree with getting rid of them?

I think that everyone should have the right to get a good education, and not just for the privileged fucktards in their fancy mansions.

Does this answer your query?
Pretty much. Are you going to sign the petition.

Done.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: duncvis on December 15, 2007, 11:53:07 AM
how many areas actually still have grammar schools?
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 11:56:29 AM
it's not gonna happen anytime soon
I wouldn't be so sure about that. Both major parties are now official against them.
i live in an area which still has grammar schools. i went to a grammar school myself. it's very unlikely it will happen soon.
i'd rather see the end of private schools anyway
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 11:57:55 AM
how many areas actually still have grammar schools?
There are 169 grammars left (5 are in Wales). Kent seems to be an area that has a load, Gloucester is another place with them in.
Here is a list though:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammar_schools_in_the_United_Kingdom#Surviving_grammar_schools 
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 12:00:33 PM
it's not gonna happen anytime soon
I wouldn't be so sure about that. Both major parties are now official against them.
i live in an area which still has grammar schools. i went to a grammar school myself. it's very unlikely it will happen soon.
i'd rather see the end of private schools anyway
Northern Ireland has gotten rid of the 11+ as of next year. Scotland has no grammars. It is likely that it will happen, and soon. Private schools should go too, i agree there.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 12:10:41 PM
Um, no: survival of the fittest (the elites of society) and all that jazz.
I wouldn't call grammars anything but giving artificial leg ups to certain people who often don't deserve them. Both major political parties are in consensus, the question is do you agree with getting rid of them?

I think that everyone should have the right to get a good education, and not just for the privileged fucktards in their fancy mansions.

Does this answer your query?
Pretty much. Are you going to sign the petition.

Done.
Excellent, it might take some time for your sig to come through.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: The_P on December 15, 2007, 12:16:26 PM
I made my facebook contacts aware of this petition as well.

Be thankful that Mr Apolitical is gracious enough to help you out. :p
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 12:29:20 PM
I made my facebook contacts aware of this petition as well.

Be thankful that Mr Apolitical is gracious enough to help you out. :p
Excellent. I just need to choose a good pseudonym to sign it with then I will bulk send it to some of my facebook contacts (I know lots of my contacts love grammars and the like).
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 15, 2007, 01:32:39 PM
i dont think it will make a blind bit of difference tbh. the middle classes will still use their greater ability to play the system to get their kids into high performing 'magnet' schools anyway.

the world isn't made better with cynicism. :angel:
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 01:33:37 PM
if they made the other schools better then i'd support it. but if i hadn't got into a grammar school, i'd have been stuck in a shithole full of thick sluts
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 15, 2007, 01:36:00 PM
they should make schools better. where's the consensus on that?
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: duncvis on December 15, 2007, 02:25:04 PM
i dont think it will make a blind bit of difference tbh. the middle classes will still use their greater ability to play the system to get their kids into high performing 'magnet' schools anyway.

the world isn't made better with cynicism. :angel:

you too have time to become cynical.  :toporly:
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 03:27:15 PM
if they made the other schools better then i'd support it. but if i hadn't got into a grammar school, i'd have been stuck in a shithole full of thick sluts
It would make all the other schools around you better, because the top quartile wont have been creamed off, leaving the remaining majority to languish. Asides, that would be the first of many steps.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Parts on December 15, 2007, 03:33:08 PM
I read the wiki article it seems weird they have things like this why not just make all schools better. 
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 03:33:57 PM
i'd have still ended up in a shithole so bring the selfish bastard that i am,i couldnt give a shit about the other little cunts i didn't like anyway. im getting the hell out of this disgusting country in a couple of years anyway. good riddance
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 05:11:30 PM
I read the wiki article it seems weird they have things like this why not just make all schools better. 
In short its called the class system that still effectively perpetuates our society. The idea is a certain higher social class can monopolise their own set of schools and after that the plum university places, at the expense of the rest of the society. Its little better than the black vs white thing you have in the US as far as I am concerned.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 05:12:57 PM
you dont have to be middle class to take the 11+
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 05:14:10 PM
i'd have still ended up in a shithole so bring the selfish bastard that i am,i couldnt give a shit about the other little cunts i didn't like anyway. im getting the hell out of this disgusting country in a couple of years anyway. good riddance
You have passed school now, so it doesnt make any difference whatsoever.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 05:15:43 PM
you dont have to be middle class to take the 11+
No, but you do have to be in a grammar school area firstly to get into one, and most students need extra help to do well in it. Obviously those with middle class parents will pay for tutors and the like. Plus, you could have been unlucky and not passed the test.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 15, 2007, 05:16:09 PM
i dont think it will make a blind bit of difference tbh. the middle classes will still use their greater ability to play the system to get their kids into high performing 'magnet' schools anyway.

the world isn't made better with cynicism. :angel:

you too have time to become cynical.  :toporly:

oh believe me i would be. but i've found aliens. :angel:
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 05:21:02 PM
i'd have still ended up in a shithole so bring the selfish bastard that i am,i couldnt give a shit about the other little cunts i didn't like anyway. im getting the hell out of this disgusting country in a couple of years anyway. good riddance
You have passed school now, so it doesnt make any difference whatsoever.
it does for my brothers who are in the process of going through the same schools that i went through, so actually it does, thank you
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 05:21:46 PM
you dont have to be middle class to take the 11+
No, but you do have to be in a grammar school area firstly to get into one, and most students need extra help to do well in it. Obviously those with middle class parents will pay for tutors and the like. Plus, you could have been unlucky and not passed the test.
it doesn't all hang on the actually test; they can appeal, the teachers can send some of their work off etc
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 05:32:28 PM
you dont have to be middle class to take the 11+
No, but you do have to be in a grammar school area firstly to get into one, and most students need extra help to do well in it. Obviously those with middle class parents will pay for tutors and the like. Plus, you could have been unlucky and not passed the test.
it doesn't all hang on the actually test; they can appeal, the teachers can send some of their work off etc
And these appeals work how often exactly? Plus, the chances of a working class parent of being privy to the ins and outs of appeals, the facts and tricks of appeals tend to be passed around snobby middle class cliques, as opposed any working class grouping.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 05:34:02 PM
the primary schools will provide information on that
about 10 out of 33 kids in my class got into grammar
at least one got in through an appeal
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 05:35:19 PM
the primary schools will provide information on that
about 10 out of 33 kids in my class got into grammar
at least one got in through an appeal
Information, if directly requested, minus all the tips and tricks.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 05:36:19 PM
i dunno what tips and tricks you're talking about. but it's pretty obvious they can appeal.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 05:45:45 PM
i dunno what tips and tricks you're talking about. but it's pretty obvious they can appeal.
Loopholes in the system and the like. Plus the appeal is judged by someone, who do you think they are most likely to let in, a working class person or an upper class person?
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 05:52:01 PM
it actually isnt about class there; theyre more likely to let people in for having an older brother/sister already in the school, or living nearby
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Parts on December 15, 2007, 06:47:38 PM
it actually isnt about class there; theyre more likely to let people in for having an older brother/sister already in the school, or living nearby

Thats the way magnet schools work over here
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Calandale on December 15, 2007, 06:48:15 PM

Pretty much. Are you going to sign the petition.

Perhaps, had you paid more attention in grammar
school, you'd realize that a question mark went at the
end of your second sentence, and not a period.

Of course, Pea would insist that you'd only learn that
in punctuation school.  :laugh:
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Calandale on December 15, 2007, 06:49:28 PM
...a shithole full of thick sluts

 :laugh:
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Calandale on December 15, 2007, 06:51:50 PM

Loopholes in the system and the like. Plus the appeal is judged by someone, who do you think they are most likely to let in, a working class person or an upper class person?

Why the fuck should it be any different from everything
else? Life ain't fair. I figured you'd have learned that, from
your college entrance experience. It NEVER will be.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Calandale on December 15, 2007, 06:53:06 PM
it actually isnt about class there; theyre more likely to let people in for having an older brother/sister already in the school, or living nearby

Thats the way magnet schools work over here

Yeah, and Yale and Harvard too.  :laugh:
Oh, Daddy went? Well sure, Georgie, you
can get in, even though you're a lazy moron.

I don't see the rationale.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Parts on December 15, 2007, 06:56:39 PM
it actually isnt about class there; theyre more likely to let people in for having an older brother/sister already in the school, or living nearby

Thats the way magnet schools work over here

Yeah, and Yale and Harvard too.  :laugh:
Oh, Daddy went? Well sure, Georgie, you
can get in, even though you're a lazy moron.

I don't see the rationale.

Living near by doesn't help with Yale though I live less than ten miles from there and they never asked me :(
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Calandale on December 15, 2007, 07:00:40 PM
Me and my skimming.  :laugh:

Actually, it might have some effect.
In the sense that you have more of
a chance to know people who might
be able to influence the process.

My first gf didn't end up in grad school,
essentially because she didn't bother to
let some old family friends know that she
was applying to the department that they
were in. So, she was only judged on merit.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 07:03:43 PM
also, going to a grammar school can fuck up some things for you. when i applied for DLA, i initially got the lowest one, JUST because i went to a grammar school. im now on medium-level. and if you apply somewhere from a grammar, they often expect you to have higher grades than someone who didnt go to a grammar, so if you have straight As, and so does someone else who went to a regular school, theyll assume theyve put in more effort and often give them the place.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Parts on December 15, 2007, 07:04:20 PM
I didn't apply there anyway I went to another school in New Haven that wasn't stuck up like the Yalies are knew a bunch though didn't like many...
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 07:05:10 PM
my school was stuck up. fucking twats
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 08:18:33 PM
it actually isnt about class there; theyre more likely to let people in for having an older brother/sister already in the school, or living nearby
You are just being naive. There are plenty of other factors at play.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 08:19:52 PM
im not naive at all. obviously there are more than 2 factors that come into it, but its MOSTLY things like that
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 08:28:04 PM

Loopholes in the system and the like. Plus the appeal is judged by someone, who do you think they are most likely to let in, a working class person or an upper class person?

Why the fuck should it be any different from everything
else? Life ain't fair. I figured you'd have learned that, from
your college entrance experience. It NEVER will be.
Oh life never is fair. But there is no reason for government to take every action it can to make life as fair as possible. Closing grammar schools would be a step in the right direction to making the UK have a better education system, given how much money gets thrown at it, its a total shambles.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 08:31:35 PM
education in this country is shit yes.
closing grammar schools wont do much though, theyve already been gone for quite some time in most areas, and education there is still as shit.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 08:34:12 PM
also, going to a grammar school can fuck up some things for you. when i applied for DLA, i initially got the lowest one, JUST because i went to a grammar school. im now on medium-level. and if you apply somewhere from a grammar, they often expect you to have higher grades than someone who didnt go to a grammar, so if you have straight As, and so does someone else who went to a regular school, theyll assume theyve put in more effort and often give them the place.
The people at DLA are muppets on toast, paid the minimum wage to guess at peoples disabilities. Why did you tell them that you went to a grammar when you applied anyway?

As for the grammars reducing your universities success chance, its pretty much the opposite, look at how many grammar school entrants get into Oxbridge and the like (most the people I know up in my uni went to either grammar or private school). Though they are right in that you dont have to work as hard, you have a lot more help and access to the courses you want to take.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 08:36:43 PM
education in this country is shit yes.
closing grammar schools wont do much though, theyve already been gone for quite some time in most areas, and education there is still as shit.
Closing grammar schools would be a great help, by not creaming off the top quartile, and giving out the best teachers to those who dont really need them. The step is symbolic as the start of a much better system. If a quartile needs taking out, it should be the bottom one, where they can be given a more intensive education to get them back on track.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 08:38:25 PM
i didnt choose to tell them, they ask which kind of school you go to etc.

a lot do go to oxbridge, yes. but that's mainly through being pushed for 7 years by the teachers. these kind of teachers end up at the best schools anyway, regardless of whether or not those schools are grammars. so even if you get rid of grammar schools, there will always be certain schools which are better than the majority. and the kids who end up there will be chosen based on where they live etc, instead of ability. im not saying the 11+ properly shows how intelligent they are, but entry into a grammar school usually does mean the brighter kids in general.

and i know it's the opposite mostly, when i was told this that's what they said, but they also said that it can have a negative affect in some cases
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 08:39:45 PM
education in this country is shit yes.
closing grammar schools wont do much though, theyve already been gone for quite some time in most areas, and education there is still as shit.
Closing grammar schools would be a great help, by not creaming off the top quartile, and giving out the best teachers to those who dont really need them. The step is symbolic as the start of a much better system. If a quartile needs taking out, it should be the bottom one, where they can be given a more intensive education to get them back on track.
the 'bottom' ones are often the ones that just cant be arsed to do the work and piss about with their friends every night instead of doing any work. kids like that ARE usually given extra help in most schools, which is then unfair on the ones who WANT to work
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 08:47:42 PM
i didnt choose to tell them, they ask which kind of school you go to etc.
Then you give the short answer then, i.e "a state school" if you can.
Quote
a lot do go to oxbridge, yes. but that's mainly through being pushed for 7 years by the teachers. these kind of teachers end up at the best schools anyway, regardless of whether or not those schools are grammars. so even if you get rid of grammar schools, there will always be certain schools which are better than the majority. and the kids who end up there will be chosen based on where they live etc, instead of ability. im not saying the 11+ properly shows how intelligent they are, but entry into a grammar school usually does mean the brighter kids in general.
A grammar school is a total failure as far as I am concerned if it doesnt get pretty much 100 percent of its students getting A*-C grades. What they actually do is make lots of people who dont get in there feel like failures, and damaged, and have to go to the local dump caused by the existance of the grammar school.
Quote
and i know it's the opposite mostly, when i was told this that's what they said, but they also said that it can have a negative affect in some cases
Yeah, when against someone who has gotten same or better grades than you without close to the educational advantage, for example when they have had to teach themselves an a-level from a textbook, as an example, because the school doesn't offer the course.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 15, 2007, 08:52:38 PM
education in this country is shit yes.
closing grammar schools wont do much though, theyve already been gone for quite some time in most areas, and education there is still as shit.
Closing grammar schools would be a great help, by not creaming off the top quartile, and giving out the best teachers to those who dont really need them. The step is symbolic as the start of a much better system. If a quartile needs taking out, it should be the bottom one, where they can be given a more intensive education to get them back on track.
the 'bottom' ones are often the ones that just cant be arsed to do the work and piss about with their friends every night instead of doing any work. kids like that ARE usually given extra help in most schools, which is then unfair on the ones who WANT to work
Total bullshit. I know quite a fair few people (some very good friends of mine) who would have failed the 11+ by quite a way if they were allowed to take it, have worked hard in the 7 years after it, gotten straight A's at A-level, and gone off now to a top uni on a course alot more competitive to get on than the one you are studying. By the way, people get excluded just as often from grammars as they do state schools, you are kidding yourself if you think otherwise. The reason you like grammars is you feel you are above everyone else, or should be, so you think you should get special treatment. I doubt there is any good arguement for why you deserve better treatment, if you have it then fire away...
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 08:53:06 PM
i didnt choose to tell them, they ask which kind of school you go to etc.
Then you give the short answer then, i.e "a state school" if you can.
Quote
a lot do go to oxbridge, yes. but that's mainly through being pushed for 7 years by the teachers. these kind of teachers end up at the best schools anyway, regardless of whether or not those schools are grammars. so even if you get rid of grammar schools, there will always be certain schools which are better than the majority. and the kids who end up there will be chosen based on where they live etc, instead of ability. im not saying the 11+ properly shows how intelligent they are, but entry into a grammar school usually does mean the brighter kids in general.
A grammar school is a total failure as far as I am concerned if it doesnt get pretty much 100 percent of its students getting A*-C grades. What they actually do is make lots of people who dont get in there feel like failures, and damaged, and have to go to the local dump caused by the existance of the grammar school.
Quote
and i know it's the opposite mostly, when i was told this that's what they said, but they also said that it can have a negative affect in some cases
Yeah, when against someone who has gotten same or better grades than you without close to the educational advantage, for example when they have had to teach themselves an a-level from a textbook, as an example, because the school doesn't offer the course.
they asked what school you go to, i had to fill it in

there will always be a 'local dump'
it was actually people who went to grammar schools that got most of the shit from people, being seen as snobs etc. and you make it sound like most people get in, and then a few dont and feel left out. its a minority you get into grammar schools.

pretty much 99% of people at my school did get A*-C grades, a C was considered shit. the only one i got less than a C one was one i tried to fail and got a D on because i hated it and wanted to be kicked off the course.

and grammar schools dont just make the ones who dont get in suffer. my school made me feel like shit for five years, so i got the hell out of there as soon as i could instead of staying in the 6th form.

and i didnt mean people who'd got better grades, i mean when youre up against someone who has the same grades as you, sometimes theyd be chosen as theyd be seen as someone whos prepared to work harder.

i taught myself most of my GCSEs though, so i dont see why it should be that way
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 08:58:32 PM
education in this country is shit yes.
closing grammar schools wont do much though, theyve already been gone for quite some time in most areas, and education there is still as shit.
Closing grammar schools would be a great help, by not creaming off the top quartile, and giving out the best teachers to those who dont really need them. The step is symbolic as the start of a much better system. If a quartile needs taking out, it should be the bottom one, where they can be given a more intensive education to get them back on track.
the 'bottom' ones are often the ones that just cant be arsed to do the work and piss about with their friends every night instead of doing any work. kids like that ARE usually given extra help in most schools, which is then unfair on the ones who WANT to work
Total bullshit. I know quite a fair few people (some very good friends of mine) who would have failed the 11+ by quite a way if they were allowed to take it, have worked hard in the 7 years after it, gotten straight A's at A-level, and gone off now to a top uni on a course alot more competitive to get on than the one you are studying. By the way, people get excluded just as often from grammars as they do state schools, you are kidding yourself if you think otherwise. The reason you like grammars is you feel you are above everyone else, or should be, so you think you should get special treatment. I doubt there is any good arguement for why you deserve better treatment, if you have it then fire away...

i also know a fair few people who failed the 11+ and put in a lot of effort in the school they ended up at. i didnt say ALL of them are. i said a lot of them are. there were three schools in my area: my school (grammar) and two others: a boys school full of antisocial arseholes and a girls school full of stupid sluts. obviously there are exceptions, but in my case, thats how the majority of them were.

and i dont know why youre trying to being me into this personally.
"a lot more competitive than the one you are studying"
what does that haver to do with it?
ive wanted to do history since i was 6 or 7 years old, regardess of how competitive it was, i'd still have applied for this course. and youre now saying these people got into top-tier universities without a grammar school education. so why cant the rest?

i dont know what youre talknig about exclusions anyway. i never mentioned ggetting excluded. and youre wrong about my particular school if you think just as many got excluded from there as did from the other schools. not many people got excluded or even suspended at my school, plenty did at the others though. and i dont even live in a rough area.

and dont fucking tell me why i think this or why i think that. you have no idea what my reasons are. i dont feel im better than anyone else. and i dont 'like' grammar schools. if you must know, i absolutely despise my school

Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Kosmonaut on December 15, 2007, 09:51:03 PM
I would abolish these stupid exams and gramma schools.
I have signed the potition.
I would recommend reading "Lila :an inquiry into morals" by R Pirszig. I have nothing else to add than has not been said in this book.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 15, 2007, 10:14:20 PM
lol clear you didn't go to gramma school, Kosmo. :laugh:

prolly misspelled your name on the potition. :laugh:
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 15, 2007, 10:15:10 PM
gramma skoolz R kool
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 15, 2007, 10:22:26 PM
they teach you how to play bingo. and clean your dentures. :laugh:
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: The_P on December 16, 2007, 08:00:50 AM

Pretty much. Are you going to sign the petition.

Perhaps, had you paid more attention in grammar
school, you'd realize that a question mark went at the
end of your second sentence, and not a period.

Of course, Pea would insist that you'd only learn that
in punctuation school.  :laugh:

No, I wouldn't. Try again.

Grammar & punctuation are separated for a reason. When I'm correcting a clause, I am not correcting your punctuation, now am I?
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: The_P on December 16, 2007, 08:07:59 AM
I would abolish these stupid exams and gramma schools.
I have signed the potition.
I would recommend reading "Lila :an inquiry into morals" by R Pirszig. I have nothing else to add than has not been said in this book.


Kosmo loathes making lengthy posts on a topic anyway.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 16, 2007, 08:14:05 AM
education in this country is shit yes.
closing grammar schools wont do much though, theyve already been gone for quite some time in most areas, and education there is still as shit.
Closing grammar schools would be a great help, by not creaming off the top quartile, and giving out the best teachers to those who dont really need them. The step is symbolic as the start of a much better system. If a quartile needs taking out, it should be the bottom one, where they can be given a more intensive education to get them back on track.
the 'bottom' ones are often the ones that just cant be arsed to do the work and piss about with their friends every night instead of doing any work. kids like that ARE usually given extra help in most schools, which is then unfair on the ones who WANT to work
Total bullshit. I know quite a fair few people (some very good friends of mine) who would have failed the 11+ by quite a way if they were allowed to take it, have worked hard in the 7 years after it, gotten straight A's at A-level, and gone off now to a top uni on a course alot more competitive to get on than the one you are studying. By the way, people get excluded just as often from grammars as they do state schools, you are kidding yourself if you think otherwise. The reason you like grammars is you feel you are above everyone else, or should be, so you think you should get special treatment. I doubt there is any good arguement for why you deserve better treatment, if you have it then fire away...

i also know a fair few people who failed the 11+ and put in a lot of effort in the school they ended up at. i didnt say ALL of them are. i said a lot of them are. there were three schools in my area: my school (grammar) and two others: a boys school full of antisocial arseholes and a girls school full of stupid sluts. obviously there are exceptions, but in my case, thats how the majority of them were.

and i dont know why youre trying to being me into this personally.
"a lot more competitive than the one you are studying"
what does that haver to do with it?
ive wanted to do history since i was 6 or 7 years old, regardess of how competitive it was, i'd still have applied for this course. and youre now saying these people got into top-tier universities without a grammar school education. so why cant the rest?

i dont know what youre talknig about exclusions anyway. i never mentioned ggetting excluded. and youre wrong about my particular school if you think just as many got excluded from there as did from the other schools. not many people got excluded or even suspended at my school, plenty did at the others though. and i dont even live in a rough area.

and dont fucking tell me why i think this or why i think that. you have no idea what my reasons are. i dont feel im better than anyone else. and i dont 'like' grammar schools. if you must know, i absolutely despise my school


Given your implication that the "local dump" is basically full of scum, its pretty damn obvious where you are coming from. As for course, if you were as good as my friend who would have failed the 11+, try getting onto history at Durham.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 16, 2007, 08:15:54 AM
i dont want to go to durham so why would i do that?
and my A levels were shit so i probably wouldn't have got in there anyway
it is mostly full of scum anyway, i live here, i think i have a better idea of this than you do
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: The_P on December 16, 2007, 08:26:43 AM
After I get a job (part-time), I'm going back into college to do my A Levels.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 16, 2007, 08:28:25 AM
if i hadnt got into uni i would probably have gone back to do my a-levels and actually done the work and gone in.
they dont matter now im at uni though, which is good
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 16, 2007, 08:52:31 AM
i dont want to go to durham so why would i do that?
and my A levels were shit so i probably wouldn't have got in there anyway
it is mostly full of scum anyway, i live here, i think i have a better idea of this than you do
The point was that you would have no chance of getting in, they reject people with straight A's more often than Oxford does for the same course. Its your attitude that people less intelligent than yourself are scum that is the problem, face it you are being little more than a snob.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 16, 2007, 08:53:52 AM
After I get a job (part-time), I'm going back to college to do my A Levels.
Cool. Any idea what subjects you want to go for?
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: duncvis on December 16, 2007, 10:14:58 AM
a point for hadron which he may not be aware of:

not all people who arent smart are wankers, but most teenage wankers ARE thick cunts. there is definitely a relationship between being an abusive, lazy, violent arsewipe and being brain dead. If you doubt this, fel free to engage the nearest group of hoodie-clad fucktards and expound to them your theory.

manchester, like most northern cities, is full of stupid, antisocial, unemployable cunts. fact. it is not snobbery to point this out.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 16, 2007, 10:18:57 AM
why are they so stupid? it's like Hollyoaks is it?
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: The_P on December 16, 2007, 10:19:25 AM
a point for hadron which he may not be aware of:

not all people who arent smart are wankers, but most teenage wankers ARE thick cunts. there is definitely a relationship between being an abusive, lazy, violent arsewipe and being brain dead. If you doubt this, fel free to engage the nearest group of hoodie-clad fucktards and expound to them your theory.

manchester, like most northern cities, is full of stupid, antisocial, unemployable cunts. fact. it is not snobbery to point this out.

+

Bristol has its share of antisocial cuntfuckery as well.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: duncvis on December 16, 2007, 10:21:34 AM
yeah but no but and oi didnt do nuthin so shut up innit?
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: The_P on December 16, 2007, 10:29:34 AM
yeah but no but and oi didnt do nuthin so shut up innit?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uy8_KEVEGU

FIGHT!!!
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Calandale on December 16, 2007, 10:32:14 AM
I didn't apply there anyway I went to another school in New Haven that wasn't stuck up like the Yalies are knew a bunch though didn't like many...

Only known a couple, both PhD's (and foreign).
One definitely had an attitude that just because
of WHERE he got it, he was clearly superior to
anyone else.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Calandale on December 16, 2007, 10:34:15 AM

Oh life never is fair. But there is no reason for government to take every action it can to make life as fair as possible. Closing grammar schools would be a step in the right direction to making the UK have a better education system, given how much money gets thrown at it, its a total shambles.

I'd rather they start with things
which help an even SMALLER number
of people, like subsidies and breaks
for certain types of investments.
Hell, I don't know enough about
the UK tax code, but the US one
is terribly biased, in favor of the wealthy.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Calandale on December 16, 2007, 10:35:31 AM

...and giving out the best teachers to those who dont really need them.

Thing is, the best teachers for the best students,
aren't necessarily the best teachers for the masses.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Calandale on December 16, 2007, 10:37:27 AM
I would abolish these stupid exams and gramma schools.
I have signed the potition.



:LMAO:

 :plus:
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 16, 2007, 10:37:54 AM
a point for hadron which he may not be aware of:

not all people who arent smart are wankers, but most teenage wankers ARE thick cunts. there is definitely a relationship between being an abusive, lazy, violent arsewipe and being brain dead. If you doubt this, fel free to engage the nearest group of hoodie-clad fucktards and expound to them your theory.

manchester, like most northern cities, is full of stupid, antisocial, unemployable cunts. fact. it is not snobbery to point this out.
I see where you are coming from, but I certainly wouldnt want to write them off as such at age 11, which is what the grammar school system effectively does. The hoodies are a group partly created by being written off at such an age, if the education system was better (perhaps even by taking out the bottom quartile and giving them special help instead), i doubt there would be many hoodies. As for the theory, id do it if i had a few friends of mine with me ;)
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Calandale on December 16, 2007, 10:38:19 AM


Grammar & punctuation are separated for a reason. When I'm correcting a clause, I am not correcting your punctuation, now am I?

Nor are you, if you correct a tense. Grammar includes
all of these.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Calandale on December 16, 2007, 10:39:37 AM
Its your attitude that people less intelligent than yourself are scum that is the problem, face it you are being little more than a snob.

Not an unnatural reaction,
given that the idiots run the
world.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 16, 2007, 10:40:12 AM
FUCK!!!

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=yXqWUKYgLXg
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Calandale on December 16, 2007, 10:40:28 AM
If you doubt this, fel free to engage the nearest group of hoodie-clad fucktards and expound to them your theory.

Soph wears a hoodie.  :laugh:
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: duncvis on December 16, 2007, 10:42:10 AM
so considering that the overwhelming majority of state schools are NOT selective, would you seriously consider grammar schools not letting chavtards in as a credible cause of their emergence as pondlife?
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 16, 2007, 10:48:13 AM
so considering that the overwhelming majority of state schools are NOT selective, would you seriously consider grammar schools not letting chavtards in as a credible cause of their emergence as pondlife?
I would say they were a factor, not the whole story. Closing grammar schools would be a symbolic first move to sorting out our education system, and not writing off a good 100,000 children in those areas every single year. That would be a hell of a step, dont you think?
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 16, 2007, 10:56:31 AM
i think so but only when they made all schools better.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: duncvis on December 16, 2007, 11:31:41 AM
so considering that the overwhelming majority of state schools are NOT selective, would you seriously consider grammar schools not letting chavtards in as a credible cause of their emergence as pondlife?
I would say they were a factor, not the whole story. Closing grammar schools would be a symbolic first move to sorting out our education system, and not writing off a good 100,000 children in those areas every single year. That would be a hell of a step, dont you think?

not really. more of a tokenistic step. btw, how does the existence of 168 grammar schools write off a good 100,000 children a year?
Title: Dunc, look: a congregation of Pollards!
Post by: The_P on December 16, 2007, 12:05:37 PM
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0q_NyoXH1RA

:O
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: duncvis on December 16, 2007, 12:14:05 PM
phwoar.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 16, 2007, 12:36:36 PM
i dont want to go to durham so why would i do that?
and my A levels were shit so i probably wouldn't have got in there anyway
it is mostly full of scum anyway, i live here, i think i have a better idea of this than you do
The point was that you would have no chance of getting in, they reject people with straight A's more often than Oxford does for the same course. Its your attitude that people less intelligent than yourself are scum that is the problem, face it you are being little more than a snob.
of course i would have no chance of getting in, but so what? what are you proving? if i'd wanted to get into your university i would have actually bothered going into college and doing the work for once so my a levels were better
and since when did i say people less intelligent than myself are scum? lol
i said the majority of people at the other schools were scum. which was true. i live here, ive seen them. i went to school with some of them as a kid. i know they are. nothing to do wit them being less intelligent than me
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 16, 2007, 01:02:06 PM
it's to do with them being less wise than you are.

anyone can be intelligent. :P
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 16, 2007, 01:03:59 PM
gcses and a-levels don't necessarily show how intelligent they are anyway; i did absolutely fuck all for five years and still got As without doing any revision. that's how pathetic they are.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 16, 2007, 01:10:22 PM
you're just smart. :toporly:
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 16, 2007, 01:15:06 PM
indeed. i went to a grammar school... i am inherently superior to everybody else!  :toporly:

Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 16, 2007, 01:15:53 PM
thus you wearz tophat. :toporly:
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 16, 2007, 01:16:52 PM
i are a snobby owl from teh grammar schoolz  :toporly:
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: DirtDawg on December 16, 2007, 01:21:24 PM
i are a snobby owl from teh grammar schoolz  :toporly:

my :toporly: needs some snobbing.

Make it so.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 16, 2007, 01:22:38 PM
engage.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 16, 2007, 03:23:05 PM
so considering that the overwhelming majority of state schools are NOT selective, would you seriously consider grammar schools not letting chavtards in as a credible cause of their emergence as pondlife?
I would say they were a factor, not the whole story. Closing grammar schools would be a symbolic first move to sorting out our education system, and not writing off a good 100,000 children in those areas every single year. That would be a hell of a step, dont you think?

not really. more of a tokenistic step. btw, how does the existence of 168 grammar schools write off a good 100,000 children a year?
168 Grammars have probably around 150,000 to 200,000 pupils in them. Divide that by 5 (how many years they spend there), and multiply by 3 for the 75% who are left to rot and you get around about 100,000 people written off. Asides, if people cannot even get rid of grammars (which is a reasonably small step on a long road), we are going to get nowhere whatsoever.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 16, 2007, 03:25:44 PM
i dont want to go to durham so why would i do that?
and my A levels were shit so i probably wouldn't have got in there anyway
it is mostly full of scum anyway, i live here, i think i have a better idea of this than you do
The point was that you would have no chance of getting in, they reject people with straight A's more often than Oxford does for the same course. Its your attitude that people less intelligent than yourself are scum that is the problem, face it you are being little more than a snob.
of course i would have no chance of getting in, but so what? what are you proving? if i'd wanted to get into your university i would have actually bothered going into college and doing the work for once so my a levels were better
and since when did i say people less intelligent than myself are scum? lol
i said the majority of people at the other schools were scum. which was true. i live here, ive seen them. i went to school with some of them as a kid. i know they are. nothing to do wit them being less intelligent than me
Yeah, the people in the other schools are there because the failed the 11+ and are in the bottom 75% on the test. The 75% of people you have just written off as scum.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 16, 2007, 03:27:02 PM
for the last time, i didnt say everyone who fails the 11+ is scum.

and if you get rid of the grammar schools, theyd still be separating them by ability, by putting them in different sets. that just means the ones in the lower sets will feel even worse because there'll be even more people above them
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Parts on December 16, 2007, 05:15:36 PM
Close all the school let the children run wild in the streets doing what they will :P
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 16, 2007, 05:33:23 PM
for the last time, i didnt say everyone who fails the 11+ is scum.

and if you get rid of the grammar schools, theyd still be separating them by ability, by putting them in different sets. that just means the ones in the lower sets will feel even worse because there'll be even more people above them
They wont have been entirely written off. Lets throw in an example, for example Lincolnshire which still extensively uses the 11+ There is a school where a total of 4% of students meet the benchmark. Dont tell me it would be anything like as bad if it were not for the grammars creaming off in such a fashion.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Soph on December 16, 2007, 05:35:46 PM
so you really think kids are doing shit in schools because theyre not 'good enough' to get into grammar schools so thwy're put at a disadvantage right from the offset?
look at the rest of the country. kids are doing shit everywhere.
once i see basic changes being made to the education system, making improvements to the teaching itself, then i will agree that we should close grammar schools
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 17, 2007, 04:53:15 AM
Close all the school let the children run wild in the streets doing what they will :P

agreed. :P
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Christopher McCandless on December 17, 2007, 07:16:51 AM
so you really think kids are doing shit in schools because theyre not 'good enough' to get into grammar schools so thwy're put at a disadvantage right from the offset?
look at the rest of the country. kids are doing shit everywhere.
once i see basic changes being made to the education system, making improvements to the teaching itself, then i will agree that we should close grammar schools
They are put in way more of a disadvantage from the offset, yes. Its better to do the structural realignments first. And kids are not doing shit everywhere, Scotland for one is doing very well without grammar schools.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: Rabbit From Hell on December 18, 2007, 12:49:50 PM
We don't need grammar schools.  We need Pet Training Applied to Humans centers.  That way everyone will be autistic and thus have good grammar.
Title: Re: Close all grammar schools?
Post by: SovaNu on December 18, 2007, 12:58:56 PM
indeed. :agreed: