NEWS - The Founder

EDITORIAL & OPINION Monday 19 February 2007 thefounder
& Opinion
thefounder
john@thefounder.co.uk
Editorial
HIGHER EDUCATION
MORGAN HAMILTON-GRIFFIN
he case
or the
omprehensive
his is a response to Jack Lenox’s article
‘Grammar Schools’. Though I agree with
Jack’s attack on public school education,
whose role in maintaining inequality in
education is huge in comparison to grammar
schools, I put the case forward for an
ntirely comprehensive education system. Jack says, ‘some
f the best pupils at my (grammar) school were the least
ortunate as far as wealth is concerned’, being also a product
f a grammar school I would have to agree. In fact a large
roportion of the best pupils were from poor backgrounds,
hough the majority of the school was middle-class. It was
he case that those from poorer backgrounds were only
hose who were exceptionally bright and talented, and were
ortunate enough to come from solid families with very
upportive parents. While our comprehensive system is
ontinually undermined by the existence of public schools
nd grammar schools, comprehensives are left with pupils
rom poorer backgrounds, many more from broken famiies,
situated in bad neighbourhoods and usually containng
larger mixes of ethnicities which can further contribute
o a socially fractious school.
The idea that ‘streaming exceptionally bright students
nto grammar schools is no worse than splitting pupils
nto sets’ ignores all the social factors which contribute to
ducation in this country. Though sets are a good idea, and
uite rightly Jack points out that pupils of a similar inteligence
work better together, expanding this on a school
evel basis is wrong. Mixing pupils of differing backgrounds
nd intelligence in the social setting that a school is will
reatly benefit those from more difficult backgrounds and
lso make those from more fortunate backgrounds more
olerant and also grateful for their situation. Also our sysem
seems biased towards typically academic subjects,
hose ‘conventionally intelligent’ may be top of Maths and
nglish but bottom of woodwork, whereas someone who
s ‘conventionally below average’ may be top of woodwork.
e can all learn something from each other. In today’s soiety,
‘class’ seems to be a dirty word; Labour, for a party
hat was founded to represent working-class people seems
retty keen to avoid the word. And though grammar
chools aren’t designed to divide along class lines and only
ntelligence, because of socio-economic factors they do and
e end with a three tier education system. On top of this
he government seems intent on dividing children’s educaion
along faith as well as class. Meaning in the children we
reed, there is a lack of understanding and tolerance which
urrently blights our hugely fragmented society. In a worst
ase scenario we may have a boy who went to an all-boys
hristian public school, when leaving school what does he
now about the opposite sex, middle and working-class
eople, and those of other faith or of no faith?
Grammar schools do very well at producing intelligent
upils, and I am a product of that system, it is a system that
orks. But at what expense, at the expense of thousands
f pupils who, because of their upbringing and socio-ecoomic
background couldn’t pass the 11+ and are sent to
omprehensive schools that are bursting with children with
earning difficulties, over-worked teachers, and a whole
ost of other social problems. For a child who isn’t very
ntelligent and has a less than great start in life, there really
sn’t a chance. With an entirely comprehensive system, the
reater benefit would be society: we would create a much
ore equal, more tolerant and more cohesive nation.
STUDENTS’ UNION POLITICS WILL ADAMS
Take away my vote?
I’m not voting on that!
Two weeks ago over 1500 Holloway students cast their
vote in the annual elections for elected positions within
the union and whether or not Holloway should remain
a part of the NUS. This turnout is very uncharacteristic
of Holloway with student apathy at an all time high,
General Meetings (GMs) have not been quoral for almost
three years.
This may be due to a lack of understanding from students of what the
Union really does; many may assume that there is no point in voting as
it does not affect them. The Union is now viewed as a commercial enterprise
rather than the representative body it was originally formed to
be. However, this does not mean it is no longer a representative body;
the Union represents students on every subject from local issues such
as the back gate, to fighting for the unveiling of anonymous marking,
to national protests against top-up fees. It is simply that students do
not get involved or listen to the opportunities before them.
The problem is apathy strikes, and many bright ideas can never develop
due to a lack of genuine support. Take Admission Impossible,
over 600 students registered their interest and 300 places on buses were
booked. Just over 130 students turned up on the day. That said, Holloway
had one of the largest turnouts from many London universities,
Queen Mary’s had a turn out of two. It is evident Holloway is not the
only university hampered by apathy.
The SU provides over 75 clubs and societies, so there is no grounds
on which to claim there is nothing to do. Around 6 clubs and societies
were de-ratified last year because no-one wanted to run them. Take
the Night-clubbing And Drinking Society (NADS) for instance; last
year one of the largest societies, this year de-ratified due to lack of committee.
Within weeks of the new academic year beginning, complaints
about the absence of the society reached the level where an ‘underground
NADS’ was formed. Of course during this time the SU was
assumed to have de-ratified the society for their own money-grabbing
reasons.
When students do not know what is going on they often assume
it is the fault of that monster of a Union that charged £5 to get into
an event evening. In the majority of cases the information is attainable.
During the recent campaigns, students complained about being
bombarded with information. The problem is therefore not with the
Union, but with the students disregarding information as unimportant
or irrelevant then complain when they don’t know where to go, what to
do or what’s going on.
Complaints that students are never consulted on SU decisions or
matters, that it does not fight causes that need to be fought or provide
services the students want to be provided, are unfounded. I say this
because all of these things, if brought to a GM and a vote is passed, the
Union is legally obliged to do. It does consult students on decisions,
because it has to. The problem is, how can a Union represent a body
which does not have a voice?
For a GM to be quoral (deemed representative of the Student body)
it needs a 3% turn out (around 250 people). It has not achieved this in
almost 3 years. It’s not like the GMs are not publicised, or the SU does
not want a bigger turn out, it is on every piece of media the SU owns, it’s
even broadcast on Insanity. Around 140 people are mandated to attend
the GMs from club and society presidents to the Executive Committee.
It would not be difficult to argue that we are living under a forced democracy.
The fact is, on paper, we’re not. Without the students support,
we are. This is one of the main reasons for the governance review, as
proposed by Rob Coveney at the last GM.
If the governance review goes ahead, it will streamline the running
of the SU into a more efficient body. However there is a catch: in order
to make it representative, a form of council may take the place of GMs.
Student participation on this board is still being decided but there is a
chance the average student may lose their vote in GMs. “OUTRAGE!”
I hear you cry, “I can’t lose my right to vote!” But unless you exercise
that right to vote, what little other options does the Union have?
The next GM is on 27th February, if you want a say in the matter,
turn up. If you want a say in any matter, turn up. If you want to bring
up your own motion, turn up. Just don’t sit on your sofa and complain
you’re not being represented, there’s nothing to do and you’re not involved!
The only way to be involved is get involved!