My son has just left primary school and I, along with several other parents, attended the ‘Leavers’ Assembly’. It was quite an emotional event – especially when the Year 6 children sang ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’. It totally reinforced the importance of rituals but that may be a theme for another blog!

What has left me disappointed, although not until after the event, was the tone of the Headteacher’s presentation to the leavers. I liked the fact that she had used the theme of a tree for the school – strong roots (foundations for future education), bearing fruit, each year leaving a ring etc. and I liked the interactivity she introduced. Several children were asked to choose an envelope out of a basket and read out the word printed on a small piece of paper inside. These words were the behaviours/attributes that the year 6 children were leaving the school with and taking with them on to secondary school and beyond …

My initial reaction was – ‘nice words’ and overall I thought it was a nice approach. The words were ‘ caring, kindness, respect, friendly, self-disciplined etc.’ Exactly what you’d want from a group of compliant, quiet, subservient, conservative and dutiful schoolchildren and employees of the future?

No!

What happened to ‘creative’, ‘curious’’ ‘innovative’, risk-taking’, thirst for learning’, ‘leadership’, ‘team player’ ‘communicator’ and all the other behaviours/attributes we really need for the future?

My son has commercial acumen, creativity, curiosity, communication skills by the bucket load and yet he was one of several boys (only seven in the year!) continuously sent to The Head for ‘bad behaviour’. Typically it was for non-compliance of petty rules, distracting others through talking too much or fiddling whilst a teacher was talking – he didn’t conform so well to the list of words read out in the leavers’ assembly, I suppose. It is my belief that the purpose of primary school is to be the place where we learn to really love learning, if not there, where will we develop our passion for learning?

Margaret Burnside