"The time has come," the Walrus said,

"To talk of many things:

Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--

Of cabbages--and kings--

And why the sea is boiling hot--

And whether pigs have wings."

Who would have thought fifty years ago that some children would be enjoying being entertained by an electronic device? Some adults too?

I was traveling on the train this morning to Victoria and could see eleven adults on their way to work. Every single one of them had some form of electronic device. One, dressed in a sober suit with a sombre tie was playing a game involving lots of key presses. A matron in her senior years appeared to be embracing Facebook.

No one was asleep! Do phones, hand held computers and other devices stop people sleeping?

In time our intrepid eleven plus children will be probably be revising and preparing on-line as well as taking their eleven plus tests. The need for chalk and talk may drop away. The need for face to face communication may drop away. The Walrus and the Carpenter may not need to have wide ranging discussions as Facebook and Twitter will have replaced conversation.

Sample eleven plus question may, however, continue to read:

Question 1

What causes the sea to boil?

a) Running out of battery life?

b) Active volcanoes?

c) No nagging about the eleven plus?

Question 2

Can pigs fly?

a) Yes if they have wings.

b) Yes if the battery is fully charged

c) No if they do not pass the eleven plus.