Using films made by teachers, government and unions, this programme charts the twenty year reign of selective education. In the 40s, 50s, and 60s, schoolchildren in England and Wales had to jump the hurdle of the 11+ exam. The ones who passed had a ticket to a more privileged way of life; rowing in the summer, school trips abroad. But what about the ones who failed? “It’s not failure, it’s selecting the right school for you,” as a North Yorkshire secondary modern head teacher is heard consoling a new pupil.

The Joseph Rowntree Secondary Modern, near York, was a pioneering school. No exams; bright, airy facilities; set in stunning gardens - pupils were proud to go there. Archive film offers a fascinating record of the time. They also reveal the contrast between the grammar and secondary modern schools.

By the 1960s teachers were openly calling for a change to the system. At The Chalk Face shows excerpts from two landmark documentary films that capture the zeitgeist of the teaching profession at that time. John Krish was commissioned by the National Union of Teachers to film life in a typical secondary modern. And when Richard Cawston at the BBC invited teachers to speak directly to camera, they called for an end to selection, and a move to comprehensive education.

Content last updated: 07/01/2005

Comments