Editha

Back in the days of yore, I went to a single sex state-aided grammar school. It was the best girls' grammar in the area, so we were the "crème de la crème". Nine girls from my primary school made the grade.

The school was made a comprehensive in the early seventies. In 2,000, surfing the web, I came across a speech given at the school by the local Labour MP, in which she told the girls that they were lucky to be at that particular comprehensive, because it only took [B]two girls from each primary school in its catchment area.

So it had actually become more selective, not less, despite the abolition of the 11+ exam.

Nowadays it is an Academy and boasts that 30% of its pupils go to Russell Group universities.

Gozit

The reason I didn't want to take it at "academic" level is they'd have us writing essays on "jesus" and "god" and stuff like that. And i'm not kidding. Open level RE is so easy I just sit on BE the whole time

Actually I just do that anyways.

Sally Redux

I was criticising the RE and not you

Gozit

I know I was criticising the RE too.

Shard

Bit of an old thread but I haven't been to the Rovers Return for a while. About 7% of the children are privately educated in Britain, I am not sure but I think the proportion is similar in Ontario/BC but is much lower in other parts of Canada. It is not about curriculum but class sizes, school ethos and social class.

The other reason for oversubscribed schools in Britain is high immigration/lack of infrastructure.