Like most other things, there is a lots of bullshit talked about exam results. I read a report that said kids do better in London due to; better teachers; more choice of schools. However as N.I. outperforms all English areas this must be bollox. The tories will love to see that Wales does worse than England with a Labour government. However, whilst I cannot explain N.I. I believe the crucial factor in England is motivation related to post education opportunities. The correlation with wealth is obvious. Whilst avoiding a future dominated by basic wage job prospects might be a motivation for some, especially those with parents able to mitigate lack of motivation.
Places like Cornwall may seem idyllic, but the reality of the job market is bleak for a school leaver with average/good results. Thus the motivation in school is bleak too, older siblings are struggling and sending a message. What I do not know is how to break the cycle.
I also had a discussion with Aaron this morning regarding the exams. He was all in favour of the standardisation enabled by the exam system. Parents would send their children to successful schools was his argument. I must say that he was taking bollox! The choice for most parents in even semi-rural areas is zero. Secondly he believes in a standardised curriculum – why should kids in Cornwall or Sunderland be fed a curriculum developed for the Home Counties and London. I believe that schools and certainly Local Authority areas should be allowed to develop their own curriculums related to local areas. Yes of course there should be a standardisation – but one with a silk glove, not an iron fist. But it is also my belief that education is used to promote nationalism and patriotism – both of which are swear words in my house!
It is also interesting that areas that voted Brexit (and perhaps “taking back control” or maybe just racist?) are those that have lost due to the dominance of London and the South-East! They voted like little children given the opportunity to eat ice cream until they they threw up and realised that the Government would not replace EU funding!