SIR – While not wishing to challenge John Pashley’s perception of his own personal educational experience which he mentions (February 20) to justify “turning the clock back”, I think he is overlooking certain important aspects. I will mention just one.
Some years ago, there was no awareness or understanding of Attention Deficit Disorder, Dyslexia, Asperger’s Syndrome, Dyspraxia etc and this meant some children failing in the classroom were labelled as educationally sub-normal.
Expectations of these children would have been low and perhaps, for the most part they would have been to all intents and purposes ignored and left to flounder. We can certainly assume there would have been little genuine serious attempt to meet their “special needs” and, after the eleven-plus they would have been essentially written off, for academic achievement.
It is tempting for people of a certain age to look back to their own school days and if they had a reasonably good experience, see them in a rosy glow. But we have no way of knowing if that was the case for every one of our contemporaries. For those who did not conform to the “norm” it was likely anything but a pleasing and positive experience!
David Hornsby, West View Avenue, Wrose
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