Quote:
Originally Posted by new coup for you 
Doesn't it seem possible that while focusing on class allows beneficial class consciousness, it also reinforces class ceilings and stunts mobility?
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Absolutely. There was a survey done by the guardian recently [which i can and try and dig up if anyones interested] were quite a high percentage of teachers admitted they they would treat a student differently according to his or her accent. Some even admitted not trusting children whos names sounded working class.
I certainly noticed this in school given how in this country pupils are put into different classes or "sets" according their ability in perform in different subjects [in theory]. I tended to do very well in History and Geography but very badly in Maths so i ended up in the top set for the former and the bottom set for the latter. I could definatly notice a big difference in accent between the two so that to me would surgest a big difference in the amount of opertunity people from different backgrounds are given and a degree of descrimination.
The thing you have to remember about education is that the expectations teachers have of a student will effect how well the student does. There was an experiment in which about 30 elementary school students of mixed ability were given an I.Q test. After the test the teachers where told that about 12 of these pupils had a "special intelligence" and the teaching staff should make an effort to try and nurture it. Naturally this was complete bull**** and the 12 students had been selected at random. However when they came back to the school the 12 students in question had performed better then the rest of the class.
I think this would explain how theres no social mobility in this country because working class children are written off from day one.