nothing of the sort

[Hartley G]

From Alan Bennet, Untold Stories page 401 of my paperback edition:

Though there is much that is called education nowadays that is nothing of the sort and doesn't deserve subsidy, yet I still hold to the belief that a proper education should be free at the point of entry and the point of exit.

Response, of any sort, invited.

[Michael Conway]

Was it really free for us at the Grammar School? Taking into account the cost of uniforms, satchells etc, that had to be regularly replaced, it wasn't exactly cheap.   

[Hartley G]

I recall that my uniform wasn't replaced so regularly. It was obvious that some pupils had wealthier backers than mine.

The other aspect of Bennet's remark is concerned with the nature of activities which beg for status - Bennet claims that many of these are not education. Would the business as handled by our teachers have passed his scrutiny?

Desperately parochial stuff, this: but I am encouraged by Bob and at least one other to write more.

[Michael Conway]

I recall that my uniform wasn't replaced so regularly. It was obvious that some pupils had wealthier backers than mine.

The other aspect of Bennet's remark is concerned with the nature of activities which beg for status - Bennet claims that many of these are not education. Would the business as handled by our teachers have passed his scrutiny?

Desperately parochial stuff, this: but I am encouraged by Bob and at least one other to write more.

I am not familiar with Bennet, so am unclear about the nature of activities which beg for status. But, indeed, these are desperate times, and at times like these I feel the urge to put on my jodhpurs; I find them somewhat comforting. I think my time at AGS would have been much pleasanter if I had been allowed to wear them in class. Financially it would have been advantageous too, as they are harder wearing in the seat than trousers and hence do not have to be replaced as often.   

[Michael Conway]

I have just looked the book up on Amazon and see that it is the Bennett with two Ts, the Northern playwright with the poofy voice.

"Ee by 'eck, Thora, be a gud lass 'n' mek us a reet nice cuppa tay, 'n' then wi cn cuddle up on sofa yonder. Al just put mi bloody jodhpurs on whilst tha mek it."

[Bob Dobson]

My parents struggled at times to keep up with my school clothing , but it was mostly down to me playing football on the Rec in my school shoes. At onwe time I kep atn old pair of shoes just for this purpose.  My dad threatened to send me in the clogs I had worn at St John's.

There will always be debate on what should be included in a syllabus, but overall I think we were served pretty well with what Ben thought we should have.

Of this I am convinced - that what is needed now in education is exactly what we got - a grammar school education for those who had shown promise at the age of 11yrs. It is a system not without flaws, but with a lot more plusses than what passes now. Politicians, not educators, have made a bugger of it.

[Hartley G]

Yes, the two t Bennett, there to tease MC who thinks my spelling odd.

[Hartley G]

Where two ts are there to tease.

[Arthur Stuttard]

I think Ben was more prescient than he knew.  In 1959 a large TV (black and white of course) appeared in Room 19.  We in the Arts Sixth were made to sit through a series of programmes on DNA.  I remember sitting there thinking this hasn't much to do with me, I'm going to be a lawyer".  35 years later I was in the Court of Appeal arguing (successfully) "the prosecutor's fallacy in DNA". (You really do not want to know what it means.)

[Bob Dobson]

Arthur. I think that the meaning of the word fallic ( not sure of the spelling) is well known.

[Hartley G]

One of those awarded the Nobel Prize for discovery of DNA structure was Francis Crick: related to George, perhaps?

[Michael Conway]

My parents struggled at times to keep up with my school clothing , but it was mostly down to me playing football on the Rec in my school shoes. At onwe time I kep atn old pair of shoes just for this purpose.  My dad threatened to send me in the clogs I had worn at St John's.

There will always be debate on what should be included in a syllabus, but overall I think we were served pretty well with what Ben thought we should have.

Of this I am convinced - that what is needed now in education is exactly what we got - a grammar school education for those who had shown promise at the age of 11yrs. It is a system not without flaws, but with a lot more plusses than what passes now. Politicians, not educators, have made a bugger of it.

When AGS became a comprehensive school, Ralph Bailey was quoted in a local newspaper that going comprehensive was a good thing. He said it was a fairer system, even though he had a grammar school education and chose to be headmaster at a grammar school.  

[Arthur Stuttard]

Arthur. I think that the meaning of the word fallic ( not sure of the spelling) is well known.

"Fallacy" Bob - a logical cock up, as opposed to "Phallic", a...........................

[Hartley G]

When AGS became a comprehensive school, Ralph Bailey was quoted in a local newspaper that going comprehensive was a good thing. He said it was a fairer system, even though he had a grammar school education and chose to be headmaster at a grammar school.  

Ralph Bailey = ably help IRA

[Michael Conway]

When AGS became a comprehensive school, Ralph Bailey was quoted in a local newspaper that going comprehensive was a good thing. He said it was a fairer system, even though he had a grammar school education and chose to be headmaster at a grammar school.  

Ralph Bailey = ably help IRA

Ah, but they've officially disarmed now! He was all right and at least had a sense of humour, unlike Ben.