 Few formal exams were taken in secondary modern schools, although O-levels and, later, certificates in secondary education (CSE) were supposedly available for those who chose to stay an extra year until the age of 16. But millions of pupils left with no qualifications at all. For children with academic potential, secondary moderns could be disastrous.
Some enjoyed their time and were relieved to escape the academic straitjacket of the grammar school. It is more common to hear of people's disappointment that their life chances were so heavily influenced at the age of 11.
Reinventing the past
Some grammar schools still remain, most notably in Kent but the old-fashioned idea of a secondary modern – a place for pupils with no academic aspirations - has completely vanished. That said, recent years have seen renewed interest in providing a more practical, 'vocational' style of secondary schooling for students who wish to enter the job market instead of going to university.
It has already been made easier for 14-16-year-olds to spend part of the school week studying with an employer and this looks set to become more common. While the practicalities are still a matter of dispute, the principle is widely accepted. Letting 14-year-olds choose between an academic and practical career is not a return to the past. It is no long acceptable to tell 11-year-olds that they are barred from taking exams because they are 'good with their hands'.
Nicholas Pyke, regular contributor to the Times Educational Supplement and deputy news editor for the Independent on Sunday.
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