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Saturday, May 21, 2011

Silent, cool in temperament, calm in expression.

If your child ever questions your enthusiasm for the eleven plus then you may find it useful to read a little lecture on the role of a Pharaoh and his duties. A pharaoh was destined to become an administrator – he was trained from youth to take a responsible part in his father’s rule. Even a young boy could be recognised as a First Minister! His accession to the throne would be celebrated by great pomp and ceremony.

His nobles were buried with epitaphs – which were to be remembered by future generations nearly five thousand years later! One Egyptian noble left the epitaph:

“Silent, cool in temperament, calm in expression.

Ten Eleven Plus Points

  1. This is only a little lecture – I do not want a full scale discussion.

  1. You know your duty. Please start now!

  1. My child, you too can be a leader!

  1. A little organised administration will help – tidy up after you have worked!

  1. The celebration comes after the eleven plus. Do not let up now. Keep working.

  1. It may sometimes be better to hold your tongue than keep on and on.

  1. Stay cool.

  1. Stay cool in the examination.

  1. Be calm – there is no need to work yourself into a frenzy.

  1. By all means express yourself – but please temper your language and emotions.

And finally, remind your child of the pyramid of Khufu – which covered thirteen acres. The builders used about six million tons of stone. It took around one hundred thousand men about twenty years to build the pyramid.

Eleven Plus Question One

If the Pharaoh had employed another twenty five thousand men would it have been possible to reduce the building time – or did the early engineers work out an optimum relationship between procurement and delivery of materials, man power and size of task?

(In other words do you need to buy more papers or are you going to wear your poor child out?)

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