[kirklancaster]

I believe that any responsible parent or capable teacher knows by the time a child is 12 years old (if not much earlier) whether that child is academically minded and able or not. This so, I further believe that it is futile and a waste of money, time and resources to continue to clutter up classrooms with pupils who do not want to learn.

If a child has no real interest in going on to further education and a subsequent career where any type of 'Educational Certification of Attainment' is mandatory, then it is totally useless to try to force him/her on a diet of 'The Battle of Hastings 1066', 'The Capital of Botswana', 'Logarithms' or any other knowledge which will be absolutely of no use to him when he leaves school, and steps out into the cold, hard, unforgiving world and embarks upon trying to find a job.

All Senior schools should be split into two distinct halves;

A) One half concentrating on traditional teaching, but now much better equipped to do so more effectively; with reduced class sizes, more resources, and teachers able to concentrate on pupils who actually want to learn without the disruptive influences of those pupils who don't.

B) The other half should comprise of purpose built workshops where the non-academic pupils can be taught different trades from Bricklaying, Plumbing, Mechanics etc, to Computer Maintenance and Programming etc.

Those academics move onto further education in the traditional manner, and those non-academics move onto Technical College should they require or need further instruction or qualifications (dependent on their chosen trade) or will simply leave school versed in their craft and suitably qualified, to actually stand a real chance of finding gainful employment.

The school Heads will need to liaise with any 12 year old non-academic child's parents to discuss such a move, and there will be exceptions and difficulties to 'iron out' as with any new scheme, but I really do think that innovations along the lines of this idea of mine will prove a success.

A lot of 'problem' children rebel and resort to anti-social behaviour because they have inferiority complexes; feelings of inadequacy - especially non-academically minded ones who are faced daily with a curriculum which they struggle to understand and with brighter pupils in class who have no such problems.

It will give young people dignity, help them to identify with peer groups who are 'the same' as them, and will instill respect and self-respect into them; make them feel like they can achieve something in their lives.

I know the above will incur considerable cost in implementing, but the money is there should governments choose to divert it from more wasteful areas, and the savings in probable benefit payments for life, police and prison costs, if no such innovation is implemented, will be considerable.

What do you think?