Secondary school zoning

Press, 20 September 1985, Page 16

Secondary school zoning

Sir,—Miss Ruth Richardson (“The Press,” September 16) should know that school enrolment zones were introduced to overcome problems created by an open entry system. Certain schools, mainly old-established ones, were more popular than others. They were able to “cream off” the most academically able pupils from applicants. These pupils tended to stay longer at school, so their schools developed large sixth and seventh forms. Staffing, equipment, facilities and allowances are much more generous for senior classes than for junior ones. With more academically able pupils, better staffing ratios, more senior teachers, more specialists and better equipment and facilities these schools produced better external examination results, gained more prestige and so were even more able to select only the most capable pupils. An elite was fostered by taking scarce resources from those schools and pupils where they were most needed, a system that was neither democratic, consensual nor fair as Miss Richardson claims.—Yours, etc., JIM McGLINN. September 18, 1985.