Eleven Plus Scholars

One way you could consider helping your child to see the future is through stories.

Your child can live a perfectly happy life only thinking only of the here and now. It does look, however, as if he or she will need some kind of a vision of the future in order to be able to focus on all the various ramifications of the eleven plus.

Back on the days of the building of the palaces of Hellas the Ancient Greeks believed that melody gave the promise of a vision of the future. The Greeks employed musicians to encourage the workers. Boys were told stories of builders of note to encourage them to dream of building glorious structures.

It won’t be long now before some enterprising wizard sets out to produce `Music for the Eleven Plus’. Perhaps Simon Cowell can be encouraged to host the `Eleven Plus X Factor’. Eleven Plus children can write and perform their own Eleven Plus lyrics. (If really bright children were involved it is likely the music would go far beyond mere karaoke acts.) We could retain the panel of judges. We could keep the scenes of contestants sobbing. Parents would want to be seen with tears running down their faces as they watch their prodigies singing their little hearts out.

Of course I.T.V. would make its money through the great Eleven Plus Quiz. At the end of every rendition a multiple choice question would flash onto the screen.

Here is a little example. Picture a child on the stage with an audience of 18 million. The composition is original. The nation awaits with bated breath.

“I’m a worthy little toiler, and I glorify this exam,
I’m climbing the Eleven Plus monument – becoming nobler and enduring.
When I am working through papers I sit in the seat of honour
There is no one in my home so esteemed, loved and trusted.”

In the Eleven Plus X Factor Rules it says that the song does not need to be tuneful, and it certainly does not need to scan.)

Multiple Choice Question (£1.00 - there may be additional charges on some networks.)

A child sings for one and a half minutes. The sentiments are excruciating. The judges, however, all want the child to progress to the next stage. If the rendition starts at nine minutes past eight, what time does the song finish?

A On Time
B In Tune
C With the aid of additional question off the internet
D The public vote is overwhelming so the song goes on for ever.

The idea of children performing in public may seem a little far fetched – but think back to Franz Schubert. As a very young child his father bought him an old piano. The family was poor. He was only eleven years old when a stranger came to the warehouse where Franz was playing. He was amazed at the boy’s ability. The stranger told the family that he would make contact. Time passed and there was no word.

He did not know that he has been heard by the Emperor’s choirmaster and was wanted by the royal choir to sing and play. He won the choir competition and was given one of the gold braided honour uniforms. He started writing songs during his school days and went on to write many songs. His works will live on for ever. The greatest singers in the world vie to sing his songs.

A minority must be able to argue that being on today’s X Factor is the equivalent of being recognised by an Emperor.

Perhaps your child will need to hear an `old’ story or he or she may prefer the modern equivalent. It does not really matter so long as the end result is a happy and motivated little eleven plus scholar!