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The world throws Covid, the energy crisis, the cost-of-living crisis and Boris at these teenagers… The world gives them a newly-appointed Education Minister who publicly tells members of the public to f*** off. The world – or schools for that matter – gives them detentions, castigates and subjugates them when they change their hairstyle, wear too much jewellery, forget their ‘school-issue’ coat(s), forget to hand in their homework…
And what do they do… and keep on doing year in, year out.
They get in there, get sat down, and they smash it – despite all of their teenage pressures, not to mention a still-developing prefrontal cortex, sleep deprivation and an innate predisposition to take risks… they get in there – that big, dusty exam hall – and they show themselves that yes, they can do it. Yes, ‘that teacher’ was wrong. Yes, those school ‘policies’ did indeed do nothing for their development. Yes, that Education Minister is symbolic of the many educationalists up and down the country who couldn’t even be trusted shearing sheep. Yes (and yet), they still do it.
Overwhelming success
I am overwhelmed by the success of all the young people I’ve taught over these last two GCSE years (and indeed my career). I love each and every one of you for your grit, determination and sheer resilience when faced with not just the demanding GCSE course, but when faced with sclerotic educational practices and school policies which have no grounding in research but are simply habitual approaches passed down through the years.
For my pupils at school, wow! Well done! You have all exceeded your predicted grades, again… in the face of so much disruption. You are why my job is the best in the world, a privilege… even when encompassed by the bureaucracy and politics.
To all my private tutees, wow. All of you got through your GCSE exams. All of you got through your 11+ exams. It’s been tough. It hurt. I was broken, and you had some wobbles. But, you all did it. If I could name you all on here and scream at people to virtually fist bump you, then I would. But, I won’t… because I’ll be ‘de-frocked’.
Let’s leave the media and the data trolls to do their pernicious probing into the south versus the north, or the rich versus the poor, or that school versus this school…
And it’s ok to fail
Let’s instead turn to our teenagers. Look them in the eye. Wrap an arm around them and remind them that irrespective of grades, societal expectations, their mistakes… we’ll always stand next to them. It’s okay to fail. To cry. To shout. We’ll still keep our hand out to take theirs when ‘they’ need it.
Take all of your grades and move on now to the next stages of your lives. Leave the individuals with their capricious and miserable views behind.
Get out there and start building what ‘you want’. School is gone.
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