In this strange time nothing is weirder than the day exam results are due for those young people who have to plan their futures based on them. It is odd that no actual marks are considered, but grades are going to be based on teachers estimates . Some disappointing moments are guaranteed. I remember only too well the day I walked to my grammar school to get my results...they were not wonderful but they would get me into teacher training college which was where I wanted to go. But first I had to break the news to my mother. And I knew this was not going to be easy. She was relying on my earning in a household where my father was drunk most of the time so his wages were not included in the weekly budget. My mum hoped for the best when I started to bring money home. I knew at sixteen that I had to get a better job than joining her in the cotton mill. So getting reasonably good results made my life very complicated...but I had already got the means of applying , helped by my vicar who really did not want me to go into the mill. All this sat with me as I walked home , pleased that I did have enough GCEs to start applying for college. But wondering how I was going to break this news to my mum. I hope none of today’s young people have such problems to cope with as they strive to accept their teachers estimates . This is not going to be easy I fear...for some of them.. at least if an exam is involved, there it is in black and white whilst a teachers estimate might be harder to accept. Prayers for all of them this morning...I fear they are going to need them.
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1 comment:
As someone who left a secondary modern school without any options for doing GCE's, at 15 and went straight into work as a Post Office Messenger, earning the princely sum of £5.00 for my first weeks work (with overtime), who still doesn't possess any academic qualifications at age 70, but has vocational qualifications at level seven, i can only feel for those who are left out, those who are deprived and excluded, those who the systems failed, who will probably be unemployed or on benefits for years to come.
How do we break this cycle? I find it outrageous that young people are denied the opportunities that we had, or at least not found roles where in work training or apprenticeships are available, for those with few, or no qualifications. We need to have the compassion and insight to provide these opportunities.
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