Profiting from a Comprehensive School: A Critical Comment

Rejoinder to comment by Giddens & Holloway (See SA 1432/ C1461), defending the original articles (See SA 1432/C0563), from charges of faulty presentation, analysis, & conclusions. It is pointed out that the soc characteristics of the neighborhood were an important part of the inquiry. Criticism of tabulation misunderstands the summary nature of the paper which selects important variations found in the res. It is made clear that the N involved was about 800-2 yr pop's of about 400 pupils. The author's awareness of covariance of SC & measured ability is stressed, but the separate consideration of the operation of `streamed' classes is defended on the grounds that the res indicated their possible operation as sociol'ly autonomous groups. Appeal is made to the US precedent for the res orientation of considering soc pressures with a comprehensive Sch as opposed to the previous British preoccup with relative merits of comprehensive vs academically segregative Sch's. Modified AA.