Star comment: Rounded education important

When did the freedom to apply a dose of common sense get somehow shunted into the sidings?

And, most importantly of all, why have so many people in positions of authority been sitting back and doing very little to redress the balance?

These are all questions which have clearly been vexing the chairman of the Independent Schools Association, Richard Walden.

Credit to him for speaking out on the issue and voicing what many have long thought – that too much time is being spent on academic studies at our state schools, causing students to miss out on the sort of rounded education enjoyed by generations before them.

The pressure on schools to achieve good exam results, and to feature at the top of the growing number of performance league tables, has become overwhelming.

In the eyes of the education world, these lists have become the be-all-and-end-all.

Is Richard Walden right? Are our schools turning out amoral children? Vote in our poll and have your say in the comment box below.

But it shouldn't be that way. There's an equally important qualification which can only be gained from a place colloquially known as the 'university of life'.

The ability to interact with people and hold your own in an interview or topical conversation. The willingness to integrate into society, and contribute to the community. And, above all else, the capability of understanding the difference between what's right, and what's wrong.

There is no doubt that, over the past 20 years, the emphasis at state schools has shifted towards academic performance, as parents use exam league tables as a guide to the best and worst.

Many schools would argue they are managing to successfully juggle the two.

But inevitably, and understandably, the pressure to achieve good results is going to distract teachers from promoting good values. Because you cannot measure the growth of maturity in a young person by a chart, or tick-box.

Contrast this with private schools, which do not face the same level of league table scrutiny, and therefore tend to have greater freedom to spend time on extra-curricular activities which focus on social skills.

It is vital that we do not allow our schools to become too goal-driven. If reference points become too narrow, then so do the skills of the next generation of our community leaders.