I FOUND the rather resigned philosophy presented by Ian W Thomson (Letters, May 9) on inequality in education a little depressing.
I would have thought that the whole goal of any enlightened education was to expel any belief that children should accept that life is hard and then you die.
His quoting of Stephen Hawking on life I found barely appropriate since he is such an extraordinary and unique figure, having lived positively with Motor Neurone disease for half a century. Similarly, the views of Bill Gates, being one of the richest men on the planet, are hardly something we should all readily associate with. Mr Thomson sets out six bullet points which specify the problem of children from poorer backgrounds being outperformed at school and university by pupils from more affluent environments.
I feel, however, that the solution revolves around our society addressing the issue by providing a system which meets the needs of all pupils.
A level cricket pitch is fine if everyone wants to play the game and all are good at it. The value is compromised if some of the players would much rather be mountain biking which they excel at or on a mountain where they can see further. Our school system is driven far too much by assessment.
Equality can only be approached by a radical change in the view society has of effectively meeting the needs and aspirations of individual young people from all backgrounds. But more than that, it must be designed such that they learn how to build fairness and equality in their dealings with others.
Bill Brown,
46 Breadie Drive, Milngavie.
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