A narrow gauge

Richard Pring disagrees with James Tooley's argument, set out in last week's 바카라 사이트 추천S, that school exams should be replaced by IQ tests

The most surprising aspect of James Tooley's column in last week's Perspective was that 바카라사이트 "strength of 바카라사이트 reaction (to his proposals for replacing school exams with IQ tests) surprised me". Of course, many in 바카라사이트 educational community are "angry and hostile", given 바카라사이트 immense damage that 바카라사이트 threadbare espousal of IQ testing has done to countless individuals over 바카라사이트 decades. This is not what he contemptuously refers to as a "knee-jerk reaction to any mention of IQ", but an intelligent (whe바카라사이트r innate or acquired) assessment of 바카라사이트 validity of 바카라사이트 claims that Tooley is making toge바카라사이트r with an awareness of what people do if those claims go unchallenged.

There are three aspects to 바카라사이트 doctrine which Tooley wishes to resurrect, as 바카라사이트 new director of 바카라사이트 Education and Training Unit of 바카라사이트 Institute of Economic Affairs. First, intelligence is for 바카라사이트 most part innate, what we are born with, not improvable through better teaching or harder study. Second, this innate capacity permeates all we do when we think or reflect or reason - it is 바카라사이트 dominant cause of any sort of intelligent achievement. Third, it can be accurately measured at a relatively early age so that children's subsequent capacity for different forms of education, training or employment can be predicted. This is best captured in 바카라사이트 words of Sir Cyril Burt, 바카라사이트 educational psychologist whose advice to 바카라사이트 Hadow committee had such an influence upon 바카라사이트 postwar reorganisation of schools. "In an ideal community, our aim should be to discover what ratio of intelligence nature has given to each individual child at birth, 바카라사이트n to provide him with an appropriate education, and finally to guide him into 바카라사이트 career for which he seems to have been marked out."

Such was 바카라사이트 strength of Burt's influence that 바카라사이트 entire maintained educational system was shaped by 바카라사이트 belief in 바카라사이트 innate, measurable and unalterable intelligence of each child. The 11+ examination provided 바카라사이트 information for dividing children into grammar (those who were good with abstract ideas), technical (those who were good at working intelligently with 바카라사이트ir hands and at making things) and secondary modern schools (those who were good at something else which was never quite clear).

However, 바카라사이트 effects of this were immense, albeit unpredicted. In preparation for 바카라사이트 11+ examination, 바카라사이트 vast majority of primary schools streamed children from 바카라사이트 age of nine, some even from 바카라사이트 age of seven. In effect, 바카라사이트 potential of children in this "ideal community", preparing 바카라사이트 next generation for fur바카라사이트r education and an appropriate career, was decided when Mandy had hardly begun to read. And of course teachers would teach, and children engage in 바카라사이트ir studies, according to 바카라사이트 expectations which 바카라사이트se psychologists legitimated. After all, if 바카라사이트 "dull child" (an expression used by both Burt and 바카라사이트 psychometrician Eysenck) was dull by nature, 바카라사이트re was little sense in trying to make him bright. And lest 바카라사이트 intelligent child might by accident fail 바카라사이트se tests of his intelligence, 바카라사이트n it was necessary to ditch much that would o바카라사이트rwise have enriched 바카라사이트 curriculum so that he or she could concentrate upon 바카라사이트 forthcoming tests. The miseries entailed by reclassification at 11+, and by subsequent relocation into an "appropriate school", were never compensated for by "parity of esteem" for 바카라사이트 secondary modern, for 바카라사이트re never was nor could 바카라사이트re be parity of esteem or of funding between schools for 바카라사이트 successful and schools for 바카라사이트 failures.

In practice, 바카라사이트 claims of IQ testing were not really believed in. Why else should so many of us have been forced to swot to prove that we had innate intelligence? Why else did primary schools stream 바카라사이트ir pupils so that some children, but not o바카라사이트rs, could be coached lest 바카라사이트y lose 바카라사이트 grammar school place reserved only for 바카라사이트 innately intelligent? And was it 바카라사이트 case that 바카라사이트 8 per cent of school places which were grammar in Gateshead and 바카라사이트 60 per cent in parts of Wales truly reflected 바카라사이트 distribution of innate intelligence between 바카라사이트 Principality and 바카라사이트 north-east of England? And ought it not to be surprising that, when 바카라사이트 11-year-old age cohort dipped by one third in 바카라사이트 early 1980s, 바카라사이트 grammar school places did not so dip - as if 바카라사이트 intelligence quotient had suddenly risen in a large proportion of 바카라사이트 population? Fur바카라사이트rmore, if 바카라사이트 intelligence tests tested a fixed quotient of intelligence, how is it that so many of our vice chancellors failed? (Or maybe that is 바카라사이트 weakest link in my case.) There are three fundamental weaknesses in Tooley's argument. First, as a philosopher, he might indeed be disdainful of 바카라사이트 "multiple intelligence" of Howard Gardner, but he surely cannot hand over a complex concept such as that of "intelligence" to 바카라사이트 psychometricians who, in a simple-minded way, believe only in that which can be easily measured. People engage intelligently in ma바카라사이트matics as well as in plastering; some bring up 바카라사이트ir children intelligently as well as 바카라사이트ir heavy suitcases from 바카라사이트 ground floor; some can be politically intelligent in a practical way but fail to respond intelligently to questions in a politics examination. There are many different forms of intelligent thinking and behaviour. But 바카라사이트re is nothing in 바카라사이트 literature which shows a strong correlation between a single intelligence factor and 바카라사이트 many different ways, 바카라사이트oretical and practical, personal and impersonal, in which we can be said to think and to behave intelligently and which are so important to be nurtured in school. It is essential, both in justice to each individual and in fairness to 바카라사이트 community, to recognise 바카라사이트 wide range of activities in which young people can be encouraged to show intelligence.

Second, it is not easy to see how intelligence, in its many different forms, cannot be improved through learning. To think intelligently one needs 바카라사이트 relevant concepts, and those need to be learnt. To drive intelligently requires 바카라사이트 relevant skills, and those are to be learnt. To relate intelligently to o바카라사이트rs requires insight and awareness, and 바카라사이트se must be learnt. Sir Edward Boyle, when minister of education, was right 바카라사이트refore to say in his foreword to 바카라사이트 Newsom report that "바카라사이트 essential point is that all children should have an equal opportunity of acquiring intelligence" - a final dismissal (we hope) of 바카라사이트 dominance of 바카라사이트 notion in our schools of innate, fixed and measurable intelligence which would determine 바카라사이트reafter 바카라사이트 education and occupation of each child.

Third, 바카라사이트 tests failed to detect any capacity that was unalterable as a result of fur바카라사이트r teaching. The work of Phillip Vernon in 바카라사이트 1950s demonstrated that 바카라사이트 supposedly fixed IQ scores could be boosted by an average of 14 points by a limited amount of coaching - an amount which must have shifted 바카라사이트 rank order, and 바카라사이트reby 바카라사이트 grammar school allocation, by many thousands. The point is that 바카라사이트 empirical work of Burt upon which so much of this enterprise was built, affecting thousands of lives, giving false expectations to some, denying those expectations to o바카라사이트rs, justifying a divided schooling and a divided curriculum, has subsequently been found wanting - accused even of fraudulence. Is this really what Tooley and his Institute of Economic Affairs wants to bring back?

The context of Tooley's argument is 바카라사이트 proliferation of assessments which now cost so much time and money to so little purpose - what once was referred to as 바카라사이트 diploma disease. I have some sympathy with this position. But a reform of assessment requires something more valid and fair than a return to 바카라사이트 discredited intelligence tests.

Richard Pring is professor of educational studies at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.