The Future of Education

With the results of England’s 11+ exam looming for many children, Professor Miah inquiries into what we need from the future of education, after having spent the last year supporting his child’s preparation to take this controversial assessment.

Last week was a big week for my son and me; as he sat his secondary school entrance exam, what we call the 11+ here in the UK. We spent over a year preparing for this and it’s been a challenging, emotional journey for both of us.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the UK high school system, it’s quite simple to understand. Some schools are called secondary comprehensives and everyone can access those schools, regardless of academic ability. As long as you live within the local catchment area, you stand a good chance of your child being offered a place at a comprehensive, as long as you remember to tell the local authority about your preference. If you don’t, then your child will end up with whatever the local authority decides is most suitable for them.

Alongside this, we also have selective schools, which have various entrance requirements…