If working in a disruption free environment amounts to mollycoddling then so be it. I’ve seen guys so stupid it’s unbelievable get a couple of highers because the school had the time and resources to bring out their potential where other mates I have who went to the local comp but were a little smarter got hooked up in a bad crowd and tuned out (The really sad amongst you might want to look up some David Matza or L. Yablonski stuff into youth deviance). The teachers didn’t want to know about them either, they were just glad if they shut-up for most of the 40 minutes and left for the next class.

I agree, the Über-smart will always be Über-smart … they may just get the shed kicked out of them a bit more at a comp… boo hoo for them, though the average and below average students seem to raise their game a bit… I know that I have real organisational issues and if I hadn’t gone to a fairly disciplinarian school I think I would have utterly floundered.

I hear what you are saying about a lot of people with attitude problems though, Panama, but just like a anywhere you find your niche and your friends and ignore the arse-clowns. I disagree about the uniforms though, they were actually one of the highlights of my school years … but that’s a different thread all together.