What were your favorite subjects in high school?

It's never straightforward......... Putting it into context, I know dad has talked about this but it also applies to me. In the 1950s' the Education system in England was being reshaped to produce the kind of educated masses that the politicians thought the country needed to move the country forward in the post war years. Three levels of post elementary education were put in place, 'Grammar Schools', for the children who appeared to havemore academic aptitude.

'Technical Schools' for those whose skills appeared to align with more practical subjects and 'Secondary Modern' schools for those children who appeared able to cope with basic schooling but who would probably enter the work force by age 15 or 16. Children were streamed into the system at age 11, or at the end of what we know as Grade 5. Our Grades 6 -12 were 'Secondary Education'. To that end there was an Exam. in place called the 11+ which all children had to take at the end of their last year in 'Primary' to determine where they would go for their 'Secondary' education.

There was an enormous amount of pressure on the children whose parents wanted them to go on to Grammar School to pass the 11+ and inevitably those who didn't quite make the grade ( on the basis of the test reults) were often devastated with a horrible sense of 'failure' that haunted their school careers. I remember tears and hysterics in the classroom as the results were read out. There were usually 90 Grammar School places in any community - based on there being three streams ( classes of 30) in each school year.

Having been streamed into the Grammar School, you were then streamed again, based on exam results at the end of the first year. I was streamed into the 'A' class ( the others were 'B' and 'C'... what sort of message is this giving to kids????) The 'A' Group took the usual academic subjects plus Latin, the 'B' group did German and the 'C' group did Spanish - all based on the relative complexity of the subject........... By the time we got to Grade 9 equivalent we had to decide how were were going to specialize even more and began to drop subjects and focus on which subjects we would take at 'Ordinary' or 'O' level, usually 7 or 8 subjects, again dependant upon how many they thought you could pass, as schools themselves were graded on the exam results of their pupils!!!!!

The combinations of subjects you could take were limited by the classrooms/teachers/pupil ratios available - so as you can see your choices began to shrink dramatically. My point in all this is that your 'favourite subjects' were constrained by many things - and you were lucky if you could choose a 'favourite' while you were accumulating a portfolio of the subjects that were available to you - and which your teachers deemed suitable for the career choices you were being encouraged to make.

I ended up with 'O' levels in English ( Language and Literature) French, Geography, Latin, Math and Physics with Chemistry at the end of Grade 10. The REALLY bright kids had been pushed to do 'O' levels at the end of Grade 9..... the more 'O levels' you could accumulate the more impressive it was - also good for school statistics. I took English and French Language and Literature 'A' Levels ( Advanced or University entrance ) in Grade 11 and 12 - and topped up my courses with Spanish, Physics and Human Anatomy 'O' levels in Grade 11.

What did I enjoy the most? French Language I think - with Literature a close second. I always loved writing LONG essays and writing them in French was even more of a challenge..... I think I would have enjoyed Biology and History, but those choices were not available......

As far as 'education' goes, High School sees kids through those turbulent teen years. If you are lucky enough to find some subjects that you enjoy and some teachers you can connect with who encourage your learning it's probably a bonus.