Discussion On The Selective And Comprehensive Education Systems

Discussion On The Selective And Comprehensive Education Systems The debate on selective and comprehensive education systems is unending. Considering that every society might have its own system of education, it is almost difficult to find a homogenous agreement on which system is fit and acceptable to all. Debate on this topic always finds convincing arguments from either side. Some people argue that selective education is a practice of democracy-which gives every person the freedom to choose whatever he/she values. Proponents of selective education argue that it is a good system which ensures efficiency is maintained; to be precise, one size fit all system system weakens the value of education. Anderson (2007) argues that selective education benefits poorer pupils more. Writing about British education system, Anderson argues that we are failing to give excellent education to cleverer boys and girls and a sound basic education to less able pupils. Thesis Statement: The issue It is quite difficult to satisfactorily defend either side. This is because different people view this debate differently; human rights gurus see social segregation in it, politicians may view it either way while sociologists may claim that selection may lead to a feeling of inferiority complex in children who are viewed as less able. This paper takes the position that selective education should be discouraged, because it is an antithesis of personal choice, and it leads to social segregation and exclusiveness. The study reviews credible literature to support the thesis. Key words: selective education, comprehensive education, system, inequality. Definition of Terms Selective and comprehensive education; what is it? As it sounds, selective education involves choosing pupils to join a certain school based on a certain criterion. This usually happens at the secondary level of education, rarely doest happen at the primary level. Many schools in the world practice an open-primary school system. Pupils who are regarded as intelligent join certain schools while those that are regarded as academically less able are pooled together in a different school. The opposite of selective is the comprehensive education system which accepts all students irregardless of their propensity. Here, children of mixed abilities are taught together. Every country may have a different criterion for selecting pupils who join selective schools. For instant in a system that existed in the United Kingdom and Wales at the beginning of the 1970s, pupils were selected to join two different secondary schools based on results to a test score at age 11. In other countries entrance examinations are administered. To note is that the criterion used may vary from one society to another. Examples of selective schools are like the British grammar school, the French lycee or the German Gymnasium) Why selective education? Wales (2009) argued that education systems are of two different types; those devised and imposed upon the people and those which arise of themselves out of the needs of the education (p.1). He also reiterates that irregardless of the system, wishes of the recipients and givers of education will try to modify it in one way or the other, with the wishes of the receiver having more weight. A government might provide education, but no body may be willing to take it, whereas when a group of persons say they need education a school develops. So is it possible to say that the receivers of education determine whether it is selective or comprehensive and why? Gardner (1959) described the American comprehensive high school as a peculiar American phenomenon dependable in the provision of good and suitable education, both academic and vocational, for all persons and in a democratic environment that the American people cherish. He saw it as recipe for democracy; it gave all people equal opportunity to choose. Gardner didnt was less interested in the efficiency of the system. However manpower shortages in the 1950s and the launching of the Russian sputnik in 1957 led to criticisms in the education system, it was viewed as waste of young talent and education for all became education for none (Passow, 1971). Focus was on the academically gifted student-whose educational prowess was akin to national survival. Despite several calls for the abolishment of the system and introduction of selection (Ricover, 1963 p. 38), the system survived especially in the early 1960s which witnessed heightened human rights concern for the poor child. However variou s modifications were enacted on the existing system. This led to some form of selection, whether, de jure or de facto. Theresa May, shadow Conservative education secretary (1999) in support of selective education, stressed the need for a system, with high standards in education and which meets the needs of all children. She said it was a myth that supporters of grammar schools are only concerned about education for the rich. She said selection is based on ability, challenges all, and gives a chance to the minority. Eric Hammond, former general secretary of the electricians union and chairman, supported her arguing that giving equal value to all learners does not necessarily imply a common school and strengthening weak schools by weakening the strong ones doesnt add value. In their research Bonhomme and Sauder (2009), concluded that the average effect of attending a selective school is too minimal and the differences in the performance of selective and non selective schools is due to the pupils composition. The counter-argument Similar literature as the one expounded above might convince somebody that the only way to maintain efficiency in education and support innovation is by selection. I agree to disagree. The biggest challenge today in the world is inequality, whether economic, social or political. Segregation of any kind leads to inequality. In the US, concerns with school segregation and declining educational achievement for the minority group drew attention to selection procedures and its consequences to the minority groups, segregation, whether de jure or de facto, contributes to a form of socio-economic isolation. A 1966 U.S. Office of Education countywide study often known as the Coleman Report found that a lager population of American children attended schools that were largely segregated-often based on racial background. The Coleman survey found that solemn discrepancies in educational achievement between Negro and white existed and continued to widen. Supporting the study Wilson (1963,) maintains that utilization of educational opportunities follows, to a large degree, the lines of the stratification of the society (p. 217). Other factors held constant, Wilson observes that the socio-economic factors will affect the academic performance of the student. He also opines that the consequences are detrimental in the case of racial segregation. Charles Pinderhughes, lamented that what students learn from one another is as significant as what they learn from teachers or the hidden curriculum, and which involves things as how children think and learn about themselves, how they think about and view other people and how to cope with them. Values, morals and ethics or styles of behavior are an important part of social chemistry. A students fate control- the feeling and conviction that, he/she can take control of his/her own life is important in academics. This feeling of powerlessness in fate control can be related to the social composition of the student body. The grouping of such a student in a lower-class student body might intensify it. Roy Hattersley, former Labour deputy leader, against selection, argued that it has an adverse psychological effect on students who do not pass their 11-plus (in UK), he reiterated that regarding children as failures holds their emotions back. In addition Roy said that parents and pupils attitudes are changed by selection as grammar school pupils are habitually regarded as the elites of the society. In summing up, he cautioned that, selection often has a negative effect on primary schools who are always under incessant pressure to train pupils for the 11-plus. Roy viewed selection as an antithesis of parental choice-in which parents dont choose schools; schools choose pupils. Conclusion The above credible literature amicably supports the thesis. Selective education of any form leads to social segregation, whether de jure or de facto, real or perceived. Segregation and social exclusion brought about by selection leads to unequal moral climate which ultimately affects negatively the motivation of children by not only inculcating a sense of inferiority but also by providing a different way of perceiving life values. Selective education should be discouraged because it is an antithesis of personal choice, and it leads to social segregation and exclusiveness. The criteria used in selection in any society may not be effective, it often leads to favoritism, inequality and under funding of children who are perceived as being academically inferior to others.

What Has to Kill a Mockingbird Taught You About Prejudice and Justice?

What Has To Kill a Mockingbird Taught You about Prejudice and Justice? After reading this book I had a great knowledge of prejudice and justice in the Deep South in the 1930s. In 1861 – 1865 war was on. Parliament abolished slavery in America in 1865 but the south needed slaves for their trade. So they carried on mistreating blacks, disobeying the law. After the war (with the North winning) blacks were still treated with injustice and inequality. The blacks still had bad jobs and most of them worked for the whites for instance a cleaner or maid. When Tom Robinson was on trial in the court there were no black people in the jury.The black people who wanted to watch the trial had to sit on the upper tier where there were limited seats so most of them stood. †Your fathers no better than the niggers and trash he works for† Miss Dubose told Jem. This is an extremely racist and somewhat unnecessary comment for Miss Dubose to make. This implies that Atticus is worse than, in her opinion, the blacks and other lower class of the town. Whites treated blacks like dirt and looked down on them whenever they would pass them in the street. There was a clear social hierarchy in Maycomb; the whites viewed themselves significantly higher than the blacks.All of Tom Robinson’s evidence in the court case showed that he was not guilty but because he was black the jury sentenced him to prison. Judge Taylor did not want to sentence Tom Robinson but the majority of the jury agreed on him being guilty. They all thought that just because he was black he lied and was cruel to people. Aunt Alexandra had a somewhat haughty attitude towards things like this. Atticus and Aunt Alexandra had very different views on the way of life and the way people should live. For instance they both had very different perceptions on the word trashy.Atticus uses the word trashy to describe a stuck-up white man being racist towards a black man but Aunt Alexandra uses it to describe Walt er Cunningham and his family. The clear distinction between these two very different uses of the word is that Atticus uses it to describe people who are generally ignorant but Alexandra uses it to describe people of the lower class who are dirty. This reveals that the whole way through the story Alexandra sticks to her views and not even after Tom Robinson’s court case does she change her mind. In a way Atticus does the same thing and throughout the novel fights to uphold justice.Atticus is the only white man apart from Judge Taylor who is not racist or prejudice towards the blacks. In the middle of the novel when Tom Robinson is in jail, Atticus guards him himself all night and when Mr Cunningham and a group of other men ambush him all Atticus does is try to keep the peace. Miss Dubose constantly has a moan about Atticus and what he stands for and Atticus completely ignores it and is extremely polite to her. He is an extremely kind and gentle man who is loyal to Tom Robinson . At the start of the novel Scout is incredibly naive, angry and violent.She also has no respect for other people like Walter Cunnigham. Scout finds it odd and strange that Walter Cunningham pours syrup all over his meal and she isn’t afraid to express her opinion vocally. This upsets not only Walter but Calpurnia as well and Scout gets a good telling off from her. This shows that Scout is not only disrespectful and rude but can also be slightly snobby. When she first heard of Boo Radley she pictured him peculiar looking and was awfully scared of him. Then when Boo started leaving gifts in a tree for Jem and Scout she thought that he could maybe be alright and not creepy like she thought.Then towards the end when Boo kills Bob Ewell to defend the children, Scout realises that he is a kind and not at all freaky. In fact she takes him by the hand and talks to him with high regard. These series of extremely shocking events changes Scouts character throughout the story. To Kill a Mockingbird has taught me a great deal about Prejudice and Justice. I have especially learned about Justice from the way that Atticus acted ,the way that Scout changed but most of all Tom Robinson and the people involved in the court case.

The Basics of Essay Topics for 10th Grade That You Will be Able to Benefit From Starting Right Away

The Basics of Essay Topics for 10th Grade That You Will be Able to Benefit From Starting Right Away When it has to do with the middle school, the argumentative essay consists of moderate topics. Nobody really wishes to compose an essay. Argumentative essay ideas can be associated with the moral facets of human life. Having selected a great topic to argue about, at this point you will need to make an argumentative essay outline. You may start looking for assorted family topics to compose your argumentative essay on in the event you find it challenging to deal with some family responsibilities. Due to this, many disagree on the way the laws should change (if they need to change at all) and there are lots of topics to pick from. First of all, attempt to go for an argumentative essay topic that inspires you and can provide you enough materials to research. Bear in mind that you may make funny argumentative essays if you do a few things. These sources don't list project topics! With these strategies, you can develop interesting and exclusive topics in almost no time in any way. To find out more about the key to interesting and one of a kind essay topics, have a look at a number of the secret strategies utilized by the world's best essay developers. The very best thing about an argumentative essay which contains social issues is you may describe your private experience on the case of the real-life case. You may also write on a subject in which you've come to be particularly curious about. There are many methods for arriving at a proper topic. Picking a topic is a critical issue that partly estimates final success of the job. Essay Topics for 10th Grade at a Glance To defend your subject, you can recall the effect of overloaded schedule on college grades. A lot of students put on a uniform. Very often it becomes tough to choose o ne particular topic either due to the many ideas in the student's head, or due to their complete absence. There are several persuasive essay topics to select from to finish your high school or college assignment. Explain why some students are made to leave school as soon as they are sixteen. They learn to write effectively when they write more often. They lead busy lives and often forget about an upcoming deadline. The students wrote on a number of topics. Essay Topics for 10th Grade - Overview Every time you demand quick assistance by means of your task, contact on-line expert writing service that may prepare an argumentative essay on this issue you prefer. You may also acquire many discounts on our site which will help you to save some more money for future orders or anything you want to spend them on. Leading quality for a moderate price has turned into a reality now! Our customer support will gladly tell you whether there are any special offers at the present time, along with make sure you are getting the very best service our company may deliver. Explain why you especially delight in a specific teacher. When students are writing their argumentative essays that need to find, re ad and analyze tons of material to do good. To write a strong argumentative essay, they should begin by familiarizing themselves with some of the common, and often conflicting, positions on the research topic so that they can write an informed paper. If when you are preparing a report you just analyze specific literature, the essay demands a superb penetration into the issue. Writing an outline is a rather effective means to think through how you are going to organize and present the info in your essay. If you think that you aren't going to have the ability to finish your essay by the deadline, you don't understand much regarding the essay subject or you simply don't enjoy this type of assignments, you should turn to professional writers for support. Argumentative essays are a few of the best that you can write as a student. Instead of just immediately writing about your argumentative essay topic, you should first think about what it is you're likely to put back on your paper through a procedure of brainstorming and pre-writing. Argumentative essay is about arguing and debating on a subject, which is debatable. Only after you make your decision concerning the topic, you might move to the five-paragraph essay structure. In terms of the organization of the last essay, it's advised to use a 5-paragraph structure. The Little-Known Secrets to Essay Topics for 10th Grade The shortage of fantastic support sources will end in a decrease grade. You must have skills to compose a great essay. With the aid of our tips for writing and our interesting collection of topics, you're guaranteed to acquire a high grade! For student of history it's essential for them to know the fundamentals or facts of all of the eras.

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