Bright Boys and Dull
As the date for the imposition of the new General Schools Examination approaches educational authorities of all kinds are very rightly giving increased attention to the situation about to be created. Dr. G. B. Jeffery, Director of the London Institute of Education, declared emphatically at a conference of Middlesex teachers last Saturday that there was no educational justification whatever for the disastrous decision to restrict entrance for the examination to candidates over sixteen. The alleged justification is the suggestion that in a limited number of cases candidates are pressed on too fast and sent in for the present School Certificate examination too young. There may be such cases, though no responsible headmaster would rush pupils forward in this way. It is a matter of common knowledge that many boys (and girls) are ready for the examination well before they are sixteen, and do, in fact, distinguish themselves in it without any detrimental effects at all. To hold the bright pupil back in order to keep him level with the dull pupil is part of that unimaginative egalitarianism which appears to be one of the main planks in the Labour Party's political platform. Hitherto the Ministry of Education has been free to go its own misconceived way without fear of an adverse vote in the House_ The position in this Parliament is a little different, and the examination age-limit is a quite important enough question for the Opposition to take up vigorously. Meanwhile those sections of the teaching profession who are convinced that the age-limit is wrong are well advised not to give the Ministry an excuse for the claim that the opposition to its action is no more than a flash in the pan. It should be a flash that kindles a flame. .
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