By Community Correspondent Kajal Randeva

As a girl once eleven years old I remember studying for my eleven plus exams and thinking how difficult it was for us girls. The boys meanwhile were relaxing as they would not sit common entrance for another two years: if I knew then what I know now I would have been grateful to be sitting all of my exams in the January of year six. I have now learned that the system for the boys is much more competitive, drawn out and infinitely more stressful both for the boys and the parents, (and for older sisters) !

My brother is now eleven years old and in year six. Such is the competition for the boys that they are sitting pre-tests. These are exams to see if they are of a high enough calibre to sit the common entrance exams for a particular school two years later at the age of thirteen years.

I can understand that competition is stiff, but surely a fairer system can be devised. My brother and some of his friends sat a round of pre-tests this January at the same time as the girls were sitting their eleven plus exams. However while the girls will move to their senior school to start their senior school life from year seven onwards, the boys will then sit the common entrance exams in two years time. The girls can safely enjoy years seven to nine with no more than internal school exams to worry about. While the boys slog it out to keep on top of the workload to ensure they make the grades at common entrance.

To make matters worse those boys who did not achieve success at pre-tests in January face another round of pre-tests in September of year seven. I cannot imagine their summer holidays will be much fun: then another round of pre-tests in January of year seven.

I have further learned that some boys who achieved success at the January- of year six pre-test will sit pre-tests for some other schools later. The reason being to parents and boys ‘have a choice’ of schools. I cannot imagine WHY a parent would subject their child to such endless testing. Surely the schools themselves know that boys will not take up the places offered. Surely the boy’s senior schools could agree to all tests in the January of year six. As a girl I am lucky to have had my fate sealed within, what I now know to be, a relatively short period of time.