12 December

Given that the stats clearly show that no school makes a difference to student learning, it’s not surprising that recognition at school is mostly about social status and who likes who the most. Doesn’t mean some genuinely talented kids don’t sometimes get awards, but it’d be much less likely if they’re not like the teacher or don’t have parents who actively promote them. Most schools wouldn’t recognise genuine intelligence in a line-up with inanimate objects. And I was a teacher, not just having a cheap shot.