Tough education

Those wishing to know how grammar school teachers operated, and how they expected their pupils to behave, need only watch the television series: Are Our Kids Tough Enough?

Five Chinese teachers are thrown into the classrooms of a present-day British comprehensive to be met by the lack of focus and gross disrespect of teenagers in a mixed-ability class.

In the 1950s those suffering “attention deficit disorder” were separated from clever roughs like me from the housing schemes and coalfields as we were turned into academics.

It is no surprise that pupils today are three years behind their Asian contemporaries – in fact they are probably three years behind their British grammar-school grandparents.

(Dr) John Cameron

Howard Place

St Andrews