Four and half and not up to the mark?
Feb 12th, 2007 by Don Ledingham
I met someone during the weekend who told me about his experience of trying to get his child into an Edinburgh fee paying primary school.
I knew selection took place but I was stunned to learn that the letter he received after the selection test read: “Due to the very high levels of intelligence demonstrated by the children who have applied to enter year one this year we will be unable to offer your daughter a place”
Wow!!
If “intelligence” was the most important factor the “school” were interested in then I think your friends daughter had a narrow escape.
What about creativity, fun, aptitude, playfulness etc etc etc.
Things that make a child grow up happy, contented, fulfilled and ready and able to play a full part in society.
That’s the funny thing about the public perception of elitist institutions. People always thing they (or their children) would get in. As though they would be included in among the elite.
This is especially the case if the institution manages to maintain the pretense that its elitism is based on attribute or achievement, and not some proxy for tis real criteria, wealth and social standing.