"Nothing in
life is as important as being a parent," insisted Jack Cunningham as he
reflected fervently on the upbringing of his children
and
the educational choices he had made for them. He had chosen to send them to
neighbourhood nursery, primary and comprehensive secondary schools, and is
now more than ever convinced that the decision he and Maureen took was in
the children’s own best interests.
There was no question of sacrificing their education to
political principle, though he remembers a time when he was earnestly
advised by the primary school head teacher to send one of his children, who
had an exceptionally high reading age, to an independent school that
specialised in teaching academically able students. He refused, not just out
of political principle but because his gut instinct told him that it would
not be best for the child. In fact, their local comprehensive school
provided all of his children with dedicated and sometimes inspired teaching
and all three had gone on to achieve all their goals, progressing to the
University degree courses they had chosen. But the benefits were far greater
and more subtle than their academic qualifications alone. Children are
gifted in very different ways. Some take more easily to book learning,
others need to put their learning in a practical context. They had grown up
with a respect for the very diverse gifts of the other children in their
neighbourhood and had learnt to treat everyone they met as an equal, whether
they were rubbing shoulders with a national political leader or a kid down
the road.
Reflecting with some amusement on a fellow student who
was a genius at science but caused disasters everywhere he went because of
his practical incompetence, he strongly argued that to focus too narrowly on
academic subjects ws not in anyone’s best interest. You cannot measure the
quality of an education by the number of subjects studied or even the level
of the grades.
He was careful not to make any judgement on other public
figures who had made different choices, but he feels passionately that local
schools need to be supported by ambitious and influential families who will
demand the highest standards for their own children and for all the other
children in the neighbourhood. A good school needs to recognise the special
needs of every child. Sometimes the need arises from a disability, sometimes
from an exceptional talent, whether academic, artistic or practical, that
needs to be given the opportunity it needs. Dedicated parents’ just
ambitions for their children drive up standards for everyone.
