7 March 2021

 Parents here sigh with relief as children go back to school tomorrow, but the only tests in sight will be for Covid! Much is being said about mental health provision for children, something unheard of in my day. Some teachers talk about play and games being the most important thing. But whenever I see teachers or university students on TV quiz shows, it’s remarkable how narrow their general knowledge is, even in their own specialist subjects!  In 1954, when I was 7, each child needed to take tests in English and arithmetic in order to progress to the junior school. I remember being able to read the word pneumonia and to do long multiplication and division so was admitted to the junior school.  Rightly, the education system back then concentrated on academic rigour. It was all important, trumping all other concerns. How many of today’s 8 year olds could do the test below, set in 1931?

I’m all for children playing games and having fun but this should be after school and at the weekends. At primary level, the teacher’s job is to teach the basics rigorously. If a child can’t read, write or do arithmetic, their whole future life is jeopardised.