Call me an old fogey if you want but I am still in love with the notion of the Sixth Form. Nostalgic for the world of Dr Arnold and Edward Thring it was the draw of the Sixth Form which attracted me to teaching fifty years ago.
Helping teenagers to find their platform for life by teaching my subject at the highest level seemed a noble cause as well as fending off family pressures to enter the exciting world of accountancy! I was not disappointed. As a teacher of history at Wells Cathedral School, and then through housemastering and two headships, I have been blessed. And the Sixth Form was always my focus!
How sad then that in the world of Years 12 and 13 (another old fogey gripe about drab modernity replacing grand tradition) there is now existential pressure on the funding of 16 – 19 education. Modern Languages and the Classics are under threat along with other “hard” areas of the curriculum.
A Department of Education spokeswoman has recently said: “We recognise that 16 – 19 funding rates are challenging….and are looking carefully at this in the run up to the next spending review”.
The Labour Party sees Sixth Forms as part of the elitist conspiracy to thwart educational opportunity and the Conservative Party is out of love with the independent sector where the Sixth Form still survives.
Not all but some of the best teachers are drawn into teaching because of the stimulus and challenge of the Sixth Form. It is a distinctive element in British education and has been part of that “gold standard” which is the envy of the world.
Apologies to all accountants but I would not have missed teaching in the Sixth Form for anything!
Anthony Millard
