[jambutty]

Back in ’48 (that’s 1948 not 1848) I sat an exam that would determine where my secondary education would take place. No one passed or failed but how well they did in the exam would decide if they went to Accy Grammar or St Mary’s College in Blackburn or Ossy Tech or one of the many secondary schools. In other words they were selected on aptitude not the result of an exam. Scholars who showed an aptitude for working with their hands were sent to Ossy Tech. The brain boxes got Accy Grammar or St Mary’s. The rest got secondary schools. That was for the boys and there was a similar scheme for the girls.

The lessons at Ossy Tech were biased towards trade skills.

A school day was from 9:00am to 4:00pm with an hour for dinner and a ten minutes break at 10:30 in the morning and 2:30 in the afternoon (just enough time to grab a fag passed around half a dozen lads in a toilet cubicle). Each lesson period lasted up to 45 minutes. One full day was spent doing woodwork and then metalwork at an annex behind the Grammar School. One morning or afternoon was for football or cricket at the King George’s playing fields subject to the ground condition. Half a morning was for swimming and half a morning for PE. The main lessons were Maths, English, Technical Drawing, Science, Geography, History, and French. Single lessons for RE, Art and Music. French was dropped after the second year, as was History.

Each of four years was split into “A” & “B” classes containing about 30 pupils. End of term exams could see the top two or three in a “B” class join the “A” class and conversely the bottom two or three in the “A” class would join the “B” class. The movers could well move back after the following term.

Only two teachers had a car, Mr Marsden the head master and Mammy Archer the fat Geography/English/Music teacher. Mr Abbot the Science master came to school on a Corgi scooter. The other teachers came and went by bus with the pupils. No rowdiness on the buses.

Each teacher specialised in one subject and had very good knowledge of at least one more and would teach each year at their level. So we had the same teacher for say Maths the whole time that we were at school. He/she knew us and we knew them. The other good point was that the teachers taught - not just hoped that we would learn what they showed us.

In those days we had an inter school swimming gala at Accy baths once a year and also an inter school sports day at Church Cricket Ground.

We had four ‘Houses’ and sports and swimming competitions between them were organised once a year.

Prior to the summer holidays the top three pupils in each class were given an award, which was usually a book. Each pupil had a choice from the offered selection made prior to the award giving.

We also had an end of school year ‘concert’ where under the auspices of the Music teacher volunteer pupils would perform. Singing, reciting poetry, sketches, magic, comedy etc.

So the equivalent of the 11 plus worked well in those days and worked for me. In fact come to think of it, it was known as the 11 plus then.

Many pupils from the secondary schools went on to gain an apprenticeship whilst I left school to work as a human pit pony down a coalmine. Money was my motivation because working in a pit paid the best wages. But I went on to learn a trade in the Royal Navy. So the 11 plus was not the be all and end all.