"Our bright, eager, quirky son left school at 16 with no qualifications, despite entering year seven with a reading age of 17. The sausage machine of education forbids second chances and assumes homogeneity. Epic bullying at school and online was remedied by our son still attending school (box ticked), but being left alone in a room for the final few months leading to his GCSEs."
"Even prior to that, the system of negative points and petty uniform rules led to an attitude of resigned passivity and despair. Along with 30% of other 16-year-olds, he has failed English and maths, and joins them in the futile retake cycle until he's 18. He is developmentally not ready for GCSE work: for the intensity, cramming and learning for the test that's prescribed. He was exhausted by the cruelty of the bullying, yet no allowance was made for this."
A bright, eager son left school at 16 with no qualifications despite entering year seven with a reading age of 17. The education system enforces uniformity, forbids second chances, and uses punitive measures like negative points and petty uniform rules that foster passivity and despair. Severe bullying, both online and at school, resulted in the son attending but being isolated in a room before GCSEs. He failed English and maths alongside 30% of peers and faces repeated retakes until 18. GCSEs demand intensity and rote learning for which he was developmentally unready. Teachers operate in an atmosphere of fear, and parents feel radicalized toward change.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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