Education

The standard of education today is no better or worse than................whatever you want.

Now, in the twenties and thirties - (I know, you couldn't care less). Well, that was the
attitude adopted by most educationalists (it seemed to me), who ran the learning factories
in those days. There were three categories, namely:

1) The elete/very clever got to University,

2) The less clever, but ambitious went to a Grammar School,

3) The rest received an Elementary School education.

The present Tomlinson Recommendations for the education of 14 - 19 year olds would never, ever

happen in those days. If, at the elementary stage your exam marks were below 100%, you stood

very little chance of getting any further, for there were simply so few places on the next step

of the education ladder; you were considered a failure - no second chances. You were obliged

to leave school at 14 and, if lucky, get a job.

Successful pupils went into the second category, namely, the local Grammar School..

How I envied them, especially their brightly coloured caps and blazers displaying the School badge!

As for the top category, I was never really in touch with them except when I became an assistant

footman and had the honour of cleaning their shoes which had been left out overnight.