[jambutty]

With some 50% of kids leaving primary school neither numerate or literate there is obviously something wrong with the modern education system. Whether it is because of the teachers, their methods or the government poking its nose in or the students themselves is open for debate. Maybe it is a combination of all four.

It is time to look backwards and see how over 95% of kids leaving primary school did so being able to read, write and do simple arithmetic. Don’t forget that in those days there was no metrification, so the kids had to learn Pounds, Shillings and Pence - Inches, Feet, Yards, Furlongs And Miles – Ounces, Pounds, Stones, Hundredweights and Tons - Pints, Quarts and Gallons.

In my primary school days (up to 1948) we had a test at the end of every term in most subjects so that the teachers could evaluate how each child was progressing in the class. With 30 + kids in a class it was asking a lot for the teacher to keep the progress of each child in his/her head. Thus next term the ‘duffers’ were brought up to standard without holding back the brighter kids.

We also had periodic mini tests during the term. Incidentally the tests were not multiple choice answers type. You were asked a question and you had to supply the answer out of your head and for the Maths questions you had to supply how you got the answer.

Were we stressed because of all the testing? Not a bit. In fact I looked forward to them so that I could show how clever I was, or not in some cases. We competed against each other to see who would be top of the class, but next term the top few were paired with the ‘duffers’ to help them.

School was from 9:00am to 12:00 noon and 1:00pm to 4:00pm with a ten minutes playtime break morning and afternoon.

The Eleven Plus decided if the child had the aptitude to go to a Grammar School, College or a Technical School or a Secondary School. Not all kids are the same with some having a penchant for working with their hands and others being good with the head.

When it came to the Secondary School the hours were the same as the Primary School hours as were the end of term tests.

Each morning and afternoon was split up into four periods of 45 minutes, except for those straddling playtime.

Being an all boys Technical School like the Accrington Secondary Technical School on Union Road in Ozzy was, one full day was reserved for woodwork and metalwork. One morning or afternoon was reserved for games up at King George’s Playing Fields being either football or cricket. We were transported there and back by bus. A one and a half hour period was set aside for swimming, where an Accy corporation bus took us to Scaitcliffe Street baths and brought us back. Another one and a half hour period was for Gym. The rest of the week was for academic lessons. Maths (arithmetic – algebra – geometry), English (language – literature), Geography, History, Science, Technical Drawing, Art, French, Music and RE.

Each teacher, with the exception of the Art and Music teachers, was skilled in teaching 2 subjects with a good knowledge of the rest. Each classroom was specific to a subject so we kids moved from classroom to classroom.

There were 4 years in the school with an “A” and a “B” class (with the “A” class being a bit cleverer than the “B” class) but the top students in the end of term “B” class exams would be moved up to the “A” class and of course the strugglers in the “A” would be relegated to the “B” class. But they always had a chance of going up next term.

The whole school was split into 4 Houses where the Houses competed against each other in a once a year Swimming Gala and a Sports Day plus inter house football and cricket matches and not forgetting cross country. There were also inter-school Sports days and Swimming Galas and football and cricket with the ever present cross country.

At the end of each school year the top three students in the “A” and “B” classes were awarded prizes – usually a book of their choice from a pre-set list or a super box of water paints and brushes or technical drawing tools. These were presented by god, – er sorry I mean the Headmaster, during Parent’s Day, when after the presentations some of the students put on a Gang Show type of thing. Rehearsals were done in our own time.

The most boring lesson of all was music. We didn’t learn to play an instrument but as the music teacher banged out songs that were older than the surrounding hills, on a piano, we sang them. Things like Greensleeves, Widdicome Fair when we wanted to sing Rock Around The Clock etc. But it was only for about 40 minutes so we put a brave face on it.

Is it any wonder that my generation left school able to take on an apprenticeship.