A TIRESOME TREATISE ON THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG PERSONS
	Not a very inviting title, admittedly, but even with the snazziest title in the world 
(and snazziness is a bit boring, too), the fact that the subject of this article is 
education would soon be apparent. In the generation of terminal boredom education 
exceeds all other subjects, perhaps with the exception of an exposition of the uses of 
plywood.
	As in a murder enquiry, we have to ask why? Why is this subject so intrinsically 
boring? True, most of us have suffered serious attacks of boredom in classrooms 
during our youth. A pimple on the neck of the person in front, copulating flies 
buzzing at the window, the latest boyfriend, the branches waving outside in an 
unattainable sunny green paradise, are all far more fascinating than the teacher's 
droning voice, and seem to emphasise the boredom we are suffering.
	More teachers and smaller classes could help. Even if the instruction were just 
as boring there would be more chances for the pupils to have their say. Even those 
teachers who have not taken upon themselves the rôle of entertainer have been 
exposed to new techniques to interest their pupils. Unfortunately there seems as 
little chance of these changes as of the phasing-out of private education.
	There is something hit-and-miss about even an ideal education - whatever that 
might be. We can't of course have 'education' stamped on a kid like an impression 
on a coin. What I mean is that a teacher can prance around manically, but whether 
pupils are enthused or not depends on many factors. Bad parenting, poor home 
background, love-life, appearance, health, personality and acne can all play merry 
hell with a kid's concentration. Substance abuse or heredity may result in some 
youthful unfortunates being schizoid or worse.
	There is even the more basic question of whether the teacher's message is 
getting through at all. At this very moment, how many classrooms are in a state of 
anarchy? Actually, none, for as I write it is school holiday time. If it were not so, I 
would hazard a guess that a third to a half of all classrooms are insufficiently 
disciplined, to the extent that teaching cannot really take place.
	This is a serious situation. The kids are being tragically let down because the 
school is not working hard enough on its discipline policy. Kids as well as teachers 
want a quiet, secure, working school. They want to know they are getting 
somewhere. Once good discipline is in place, the comparatively few stirrers can be 
easily prevented from jeopardising the education of others. It does take time and 
effort to set up a disciplined school but once it is up and running it is easily 
maintained. To work in such a school is satisfying for teacher and pupil alike. The 
discipline policy might be called the Student Welfare Programme or the Strategy for 
the Reduction in Numbers of Psychotic Teachers; poverty, unemployment and 
broken homes might be found in the backgrounds of many pupils; but once the 
school achieves a good tone the support of the parents and community will follow.
	A discipline policy will not guarantee happiness, but members of the school will 
feel they are achieving something. A teacher has to spend a great deal of out-of-
classroom time in school activities of one sort or another. Those who gibe at 
teachers' short working hours and long holidays don't see them poring over exam 
papers, timetabling or preparing courses in their so-called free time. Those teachers 
who are enabled to teach successfully by means of a discipline policy will be more 
prepared to take on extra-curricular activities of a cultural or sporting nature, which 
will flourish in the sunshine of a well-run school.
	A baleful and unfortunately widespread institution which militates against a fair 
and democratic education, and even undermines the fabric of our society, is private 
schooling. It is cynically undemocratic of the State to uphold and maintain private 
education, for it ensures that every child is given an unreasonable and unfair start in 
life. It is in fact a crime against our children, and dangerously divisive. Aren't there 
enough differences between children? Differences of personality, intellect, physique, 
health, wealth and appearance, which should not be exacerbated by elitist and 
divisive schooling?  A universal system of education would go a long way towards 
engendering those feelings of brotherhood and sisterhood so needed today. 
Resentment, bitterness and hatred, which later on might well give rise to crime, are 
greatly reduced in such an educational environment.
	If not only the 'poshies' but also the solidly respectable middle classes were to 
send their offspring to the one universal school, wouldn't that school benefit 
enormously from the financial, moral and personal support of a segment of the 
population by no means more intelligent or morally superior to others, but surely 
possessed of a disproportionate share of wealth?
	In order to promote feelings and ideas of cooperation and democracy among 
the young, I also believe  in the importance of mixed-ability or unstreamed classes. 
The advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantages. The children's spirit of 
cooperation can be tapped. Those with more skills can help those with less, thereby 
developing their instructional and social skills, and this will accustom them to the 
morality and pleasure of giving. By these means the standard of achievement will be 
constantly raised, because everyone will have the same teacher, the same 
environment, the same opportunities, the same uniform, the same school, whatever 
their family wealth or personal ability. Better to start with equality and end with 
diversity than start with inequality and end with resentment and criminality. 
	Of course those at each end of the educational spectrum will need stimulus or 
assistance. Our present education system is geared to pressurising pupils into 
showing that they are smarter than someone else. There should be a lesser 
emphasis on competition, a greater on fairness and equality which will surely result 
in the less able making astonishingly good progress, and the more able, while 
receiving the intellectual stimulus they need, developing their social skills - their 
desire to reciprocate, interact, show kindness and, in all, experience achievement of 
a different nature from high marks in examinations.
	Because education should be guided by commonsense as well as by the 
highest ethical and democratic standards, it will be apparent that small specialised 
classes, both for academic high-flyers and for others with special interests and 
abilities should be provided. The fact that all the pupils attend the one school, and 
spend the majority of their schooldays in unstreamed classes will not only maintain a 
very good esprit de corps but establish in each youthful person the knowledge that 
such a system is the only fair, decent and workable one - in fact, the only way to run 
things. 
	We do not want to be misunderstood when talking of a democracy. A school is 
not a democracy; teachers have to teach and to be in control, even if that control is a 
light, flexible and even attractive framework. However, in such an educational 
system as I have described, kids can be best prepared for democracy. Do we really 
want two nations, or more? A caste system stems from separatist, elitist education, 
and from the initial unfairness of stratification stem many evils which are already 
beginning to be experienced in our society.
	It matters a great deal to kids what their teacher is like, what class they are in 
and what social status their school has. From a pupil's experience of a school in a 
poor, deprived urban environment will grow that kid's sense of personal worth. He or 
she could emerge from that experience with high self-esteem, but it is not likely. 
From the low self-esteem of millions stems at worst crime, at best apathy, a sense of 
hopelessness and powerlessness. This can be changed.
	Our society fosters money-worship, the pursuit of the fast buck and a growing 
inequality. Society is, in fact, diseased, and the disease spreads to its members, 
however high their intelligence, morals or income. The most sensible - the best - the 
only way to start to improve that situation is to reform the education system. We 
must devise and create as egalitarian an education system as possible, so that the 
self-worth, and therefore the development, or every child can be built on the only 
sound foundation.