Katharine Birbalsingh's blog post of October 24 makes for disturbing reading principally because it has the ring of truth about it. Without delving into the specifics of the case she mentions, the broad issue of low expectations in schools remains relevant. Experienced teachers will know what I mean by this.
The root of this malaise seems to lie in the profoundly mistaken belief that education is not principally about growing in wisdom and learning from the shared patrimony of our civilisation. Rather, we hear that education is a teaching of skills - basic and advanced - in preparation for the job market. (How often do we hear reports in the press of 'employers' lamenting the low levels of literacy which they find in school leavers. Universities have succumbed to this utilitarianism too. Here it is called the drive for employability.)
Of course all educators should feel the call to promote high standards both in behaviour and in teaching and learning. This might seem self-evident but it merits repeating. Education is nothing if not the promotion of the best and most enriching aspects of our cultural inheritance. All young people of all backgrounds deserve to be included in this patrimony, not just those who parents can afford a private education.
