Scholar and Gentleman

It's been nearly two years since I posted here.

In the last week we had the very good news that son has been offered an academic scholarship to a very academic school not so far from our house.

He was on his school ski trip when we found out. So I made a banner to welcome him home with the news. He was chuffed.

Yesterday he returned with the news that in a history 'test' with 800 boys he has been ranked 20th. Today he sat part 2 of the 'test'. He came home feeling confident as well.

History was not something he took to so easily. His grades were never all that good. But in the last two years he was determined to do better, and do better he has, scoring A grades.

We've had lots of run-ins with his music. He still finds it hard to knuckle down to practise.

Just before Christmas we learned that his teacher (who teaches him at school) was going to stop teaching. A bit of a panic.

We got him the other piano teacher at school who made me realize that son had come a long way on half-hour lessons in school, during term time only. Then son lets on that often the lessons were about 20 minutes. Sometimes the former teacher just did not show up.

How son got this far is just unbelievable. He could have gone so much further.

Then there was the problem of bullying. The boy who grudged him his hockey colour has been such a pain.

I think this young man is to be pitied. He does not show obvious talent in the four main fields at school: academic, music, art, sport, or even drama. Significantly his parents push him in the academic direction.

When your child is not academic, your child is not academic.

So I wonder if this child might be happier doing something he enjoys and is good at. Cooking? Woodwork perhaps?