---

 

      

T H E     G R E E N H I L L I A N  

No. 12  October 1964

 

 

The Magazine of

GREENHILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL

OLDHAM

Editor:  BEVERLEY D. HARDY

Committee:

EDWARD LEES
BRIAN PRICE
JEREMY M. T. SUTCLIFFE
ROY WOLSTENHOLME
MARGARET M. BOLTON
CAROL LINDLEY
JEAN WALLACE

 

 

 

---

Editorial

 

 

 

In the very near future Greenhill, with its present educational system, will no longer exist. In its place will be a brand-new comprehensive school, capable of holding up to one thousand students - a vastly different method of education from that to which we are accustomed.

This method of secondary education, new to Oldham, yet rapidly becoming popular throughout the rest of England, will meet with many comments both of approval and to a large extent disapproval which it will have to overcome, before it can begin to build up a good reputation in Oldham.

For those parents whose children would, by the old method of selection, the 11 plus, have been chosen for a grammar school place, the new school will not prove popular.  An underlying trait of this disapproval is the snob-value attached to the phrase popularly used by proud parents, "Of course, my child goes to a Grammar School".  Now as their child is sent to a Comprehensive School, gone will be the prestige of a Grammar School or Technical School education, or so the parent thinks.

In the new comprehensive school children will be placed according to their ability in different streams.  This will undoubtedly be beneficial to the child, as some children develop slowly in their mental capabilities.  The child may be able to take those subjects which he is good at in the G.C.E. stream while his other subjects can be taken in the Secondary stream.

These students will be able to work hard to gain the grammar school stream.  Gone will be the mistakes made when a child, whose capabilities seem suited to secondary modern education, develops intellectually and has no opportunity to reach a higher standard of education because his school does not accept students for G.C.E. training.

For the senior pupils taking advanced G.C.E. there will be a wider scope of subjects.  A student requiring a rarer specialised subject will be able either to attend another school for the lessons in this subject or if necessary change school.

Another scheme which I am sure will find favour with senior students is that of Vlth formers dropping school uniform, if the headmasters could be persuaded to adopt such a course, and being treated as young adults.

Although Greenhill will be transferred to the brand new comprehensive school at Street Farm along with Hollinwood Secondary Modern School, I hope the high standard of work will still be maintained thus gaining for Street Farm a worthy reputation throughout Oldham.