Eleven Plus and Financial Climate 03/01/09

It is going to be very interesting to see the effect that the general social and political conditions that exist today have on future developments within the Eleven Plus.

`Building Schools for the Future’ has already revolutionised far more than the design and intent of schools. The curriculum too has changed with information technology playing a larger part.

Would there be a big outcry if one of the political parties developed a new case for changes within the grammar school system?

Would prospective and existing grammar school parents react if the curriculum within their school was altered?

Will children continue to be prepared by traditional methods for Eleven Plus examinations?

Will families have time to be able to be involved in social ferment if they are in fear of their jobs and savings?

Will the middle class develop a new group of activists who will strive for change to the existing grammar school system?

How can parents be mobilised to demand changes to the system?

Will a grammar school ever become an academy?

Will an academy ever become a grammar school?

We saw in the recent American elections that the new tools of change included blogs, Face Book and Twitter. The `Friends of the Eleven Plus’ could develop large families that would be able have contrasting opinions to the `Stop the Eleven Plus’ community.

One thing we can be certain of is that there is very little chance of change becoming ossified. None of us can remain impervious to developments we have little control over.