“Well now Janet, you’re 11 years of age now, aren’t you?”

“Yes sir.”

“And therefore you’ve left the primary school and come to the secondary school. Secondary modern school. You know that is what it is called, don’t you?”

The mum replies. “Yes, we were rather sorry Janet failed the 11-plus.”

“Well, I hardly think that fail is the right word, Mrs Kitchen. You see what happened was, that Janet took a test so that we could find out exactly which school would suit her best. She would have failed the test had she been selected for the wrong school.”

A somewhat chilling start to this excellent radio documentary about the history of selective education. An authoritative teacher calmly explains that there are two types of children, those destined for academic life, and those destined for practical training. It’s bizarre to think the 11-plus test continues in much the same way as it always has, despite the idea of these two labels now being seen as ridiculous. Few parents or teachers would support segregated schools offering hugely different career opportunities, yet the 11-plus goes on and on, as if the world hasn’t changed.

In this excellent documentary Sathnam Sanghera explores the social and emotional after-effects of the 1944 Education Act. Against the backdrop of war and a growing call for social reform, the Butler Act revolutionised secondary education by splitting schools into Technical, Secondary Modern and Grammar.  “Upon the education of the people of this country,” Benjamin Disraeli said, “the fate of this country depends.” And the 1944 Education Act proves his words.

This Act aimed to effect social mobility and change society, but for every one ‘winner’ there were approximately four ‘losers’: in the 1960s 80% of children did not pass the 11+. And with that, critics might argue, they were consigned and compartmentalised. Sathnam Sanghera hears from those who experienced both sides of the 1944 Act, for whom education is also implicitly about social mobility and friendship, class and ambition, belonging and fairness – and the character of our country.

You can listen to ‘Upon the Education of the People HERE.