Scrap the 11+?

Is scrapping the 11+ a good idea?

I think so. That's why I'm suggesting we keep it.

Keep it but turn it on its head.

Instead of us creaming off the top 20% and giving them a better education, let’s do it the other way around.
 
Let’s cream off the bottom 10% and give them the remedial help which they so obviously need. A stretching academic environment is clearly not the place for them at this stage. 

If any of these children prove to be late developers, then by all means consider a move to a more academic based school but only if it is in the child’s overall and long term benefit.
 
The remaining 90% of our eleven year olds will be split between however many schools are needed which will then all provide exactly the same level of education. All of our secondary schools already teach the same curriculum so the move shouldn’t be too controversial.
 
I know that we first need to sort out some of our secondary schools but suggest that the removal of their disruptive pupils, as argued in another blog, will go a long way to resolving the problem.
 
Under this new 11+ system we would instantly remove the sense of failure from 70% of this age group and instead provide a system where they all have the same opportunity to progress.
 
I’m not advocating that all pupils should be treated equally as we are all different and will always remain so. 

I might be good at Maths and rubbish at Languages so “one size fits all” wouldn’t fit me. 

Schools already recognise this by streaming by subject so let them continue. The breadth of ability will widen a bit but that shouldn’t be insurmountable to good teachers.
 
More importantly, all of the pupils should be there to learn. I know that poor academic performance isn’t always an indicator of poor behaviour but it does turn out that way in a lot of cases.
 
I am of the opinion that teachers should not have to deal with constant poor and disruptive behaviour. If any child is acting that way, then regardless of academic ability, something is wrong. They need fixing and a mainstream school is not the place to do that.
 
In the other blog already referred to I have argued for the expansion of the Link Centre. Perhaps it could be incorporated into but separate from the school for those of the lowest academic ability.
 
Then we would have a specialist centre able to sort out these troubled children but still within an educational establishment which is focused on remedial help.
 
The 11+ is not perfect and we need to recognise that not all children need the same learning environment.
 
Likewise this new system is not perfect but it does give the majority of our children the chance of excellence.
 
So, why don’t we do it?