A First Taste of ‘Academic’ Learning

Having passed the entrance exam, I was duly delivered to my new school as a full-time boarder, complete with bright stripy uniform. My views about the learning that followed and of private education were, I realise, strongly influenced by the experience that followed.

Being Away From Home

Being away from home for 6 weeks at a time came as quite a shock. I coped by ‘toeing the line’ and following the semi-military regime of dormitories, set times for everything, iron discipline and the ‘prison like’ reality of being shut away from normal life. We were only free to walk up to the school and allowed to cycle into town and locally for two hours on Sunday afternoons. Even then, I had to be in full stripy uniform at all times! And pass under the critical gaze of ‘matron’ and the housemaster on my return.

Learning

What about the learning involved?…My varied primary schools had taught me to duck and dive between the harder and softer fellow pupils and teachers quite successfully. So I learnt to cope /get on with my fellow inmates. At the school itself I loved the sport. Especially the full afternoon every week and the participation in Saturday matches. The rest was a struggle with the odd positive highlight.

As someone who had not been to Prep school I was made to feel very junior and second rate in terms of academic achievement. No consideration was given to the individual speed of learning. If you didn’t understand, you had to ask another pupil furtively or ask the ‘master’ at the end of the lesson. But only if you were feeling brave.

It still sounds ridiculous now, but no-one ever explained to me what ‘taking notes’ was all about. What, when and how never came up. Similarly when the instructions came down to ‘read round the subject’ or ‘do some research on. There seemed to be an assumption that I should have known and I never really thought to ask. It never occurred to me and I never received any guidance from my so called ‘in loco parentis’ house master back at the boarding house before, during or after our nightly 2hr homework session. These were conducted in silence in the ‘prep’ room. 

Gym Lessons

Not surprisingly, I remember the gym lessons. The content of which is part of modern keep fit and Pilates exercises and sports days etc, but I recall little of lessons. I do remember getting an ‘A,  good  work’ written in red in my exercise book for a picture of Henry VIII that the whole class had been asked to copy which took all of the History lesson. Such exciting and useful learning!!

I remember doing a lot of copying and a lot of rote learning; English and Drama being the only lessons where our imaginations were engaged and, for me, interest aroused. I particularly enjoyed  the ‘Mummery’ the inspiration of my first English and Drama teacher Douglas Brown which was a more relaxed classroom with curtains and a full stage provision with costumes, lighting and music. Play reading took place in conjunction with acting skills and full productions.

Language Lessons

Language lessons were French until the start of GCE when you could add German. My French lessons nearly put me off learning languages for life. During my first ever lesson – aged 11 – it quickly became clear that I was one of only 2 or 3 pupils who had not previously studied French at a private prep school.

In common with all other lessons, no consideration; let alone time was given for individual needs. It was assumed that one would somehow catch up. Again, how, what and when were not questions I dared ask. We went though chapter after chapter, taking in turns to read a paragraph of the information before having to write down the answers. Despite being constantly corrected by the master as I went I did OK. Turns out I’m quite good at accents but didn’t understand most of what I was reading.

At this stage of my ‘education’ I hadn’t yet acquired the confidence to ask for clarification. It was a case of smiling inanely at the French teacher’s pathetic jokes and pompous superiority in all matters French. In retrospect I think the term ‘master’ was a fairly accurate reflection of their role. Being in charge and unchallengeable rather than ‘teaching’ which was a skill I rarely saw employed during these early years.

I really enjoyed my first 2 lessons of German at the start of year 4 because it comprised of the master pointing to items in the room and naming them in German. No English was spoken. A new and interesting approach for me (very much the TEFL method). This only lasted 2 lessons before we were straight into the reading of text and writing answers to comprehension questions. Many German words are very long and my interest and concentration dwindled quickly!

Science Lessons

When I think of Science lessons my immediate recollections are instructions, instructions, instructions. Endless information, detailed instructions and minimum practical opportunities.

I remember Music lessons being boring and increasingly farcical as I went through year 5. (today’s year 11). I still can’t quite believe how unimaginative they were. We did a lot of singing, singing and then more singing. No learning how to read music. No instruments to try out or learn how to play.  Even some of my normally squeaky clean classmates joined the ‘out of tune’ subversives to relieve the boredom. No wonder the music revolution was under way outside in the real world. I remember watching our own school revolution one lunchtime when four 6th formers were heard and then seen playing some rock music with the music room windows open. One of them later joined Pink Floyd.

By this stage I was moving from being accepting of a situation I was coping with but only partly enjoying to a situation where I was feeling increasingly frustrated with and alienated from the culture of learning I found myself in.

My ‘Learning for life’ improved in the 6th form (to be continued…)