‘We are considering scrapping the original tutor system of Holy Trinity, and replacing it with the more improved, more modern vertical system’. This statement made by the head of the school has created a huge divide between those effected by the decision as to whether the procedure should or shouldn’t take place, as well as creating many feuds between pupils and the staff. I am going to express my opinion as to why I strongly believe the idea is foolish and a waste of time and space.
Firstly, I would like to address the issue of bullying across the school. Having been at Holy Trinity for nearly three years, I have seen very few cases of bullying throughout the school, and those of which I have, have been between older students targetting younger ones. I understand you cannot deny the fact that bullying goes on, but I do not see how verticle tutoring will reduce the issue, as Mr Kennedy has stated so. In the ‘2012 Bullying Act survey’, results showed that 82% of bullying in schools occurs between year groups. The point I am trying to put across is that surely if tutors are mixed between 11-16 year olds, it is just an thirty minute a day opportunity for people to be targetted?
Another major issue I would like to address with vertical tutoring, is the destruction of the currently established year group forms. After spending the first two years of your secondary school life with the same 25 people in the majority of your classes, you do build up strong bonds with the members. As you progress through the school, the only time you get to spend with these people become tutor time. If vertical tutoring was to take place, friendships are potentially being torn apart, for an extremely unnessary cause. On the other hand, I can see why new students could benefit getting to know those from other years on day one, but this is the minority of people. It is the older years of the school who are going to severly suffer,but it seems we are being given no time for our voices to be heard.
‘Vertical tutoring allows younger students to see their elders in a different light, and as positive role models to look up to.’ This statement from a teacher at Holy Trinity school, to me, seems very close minded. I can not get my head around why the staff think that the majority of fifteen/sixteen year olds would be appropriate for eleven year olds to idolise. Not only is the age gap very large, meaning that they will have more differences , but what many year elevens think and talk about seem rather inappropriate for youngers. If Mr Kennedy is aiming to encourage the lower years to copy the older years, then let him do what he has to do. All I can say as somebody who has been through year seven, is that at that age I would be simply scarred by what some year ten and elevens talk about today!
