The Logic of the Eleven Plus

The Eleven Plus seems to exist in some form of physical environment whose laws we all need to respect. We can not make up our own laws or even change the way the eleven plus operates. There is a kind of logic about the preparation for the examination the actual examination and the eventual aftermath.

The logic we are looking at is the type of logic where; “you can not get two pints into a one pint pot”.

This leaves us with the rather simplistic logic of the eleven plus. Perhaps a further example is needed. For generations men and women chess grandmasters have demonstrated the ability to play a hundred games of chess simultaneously.

Logic 1
“You can’t work on a hundred eleven plus papers simultaneously. (Even though you may wish that your child could have this very special ability.)

Logic 2
“You can’t take two hours over the examination where only one is allowed.”

Logic 3
“You can’t expect a place in a grammar school unless your child passes all the relevant criteria.”

There are very complex interactions within the time zone of the eleven plus. Children have to be ready and willing to work. Parents need to plan and work sympathetically with their child and the examination providers have to set fair and `wholesome’ examinations. Underlying all of these emotions and pressures is the stress of the examination to parents and to children.

Is there any logic in the fact that the eleven plus, by nature, engenders stress in families? The eleven plus is a unique event in the lives of families. Unique events can allow stress to blossom – but they can also defy logic. Every parent would like their child to pass and therefore challenge the laws of logic and earn a rightful place in a grammar school.