A chance conversation four years ago brought to my attention the fact that five of the postgraduate students in the Mathematics Department of the University of Hull were actual natives of the city. Not all had taken their first degree in the Department or indeed at Hull University. My immediate reaction was that these postgraduates would be wonderful role models for youngsters in local schools either at the schools they attended themselves or at others in the city. This reaction was natural for someone living in a city where many youngsters have very low educational aspirations perhaps not surprising when there are families of third generation unemployed and frequent changes of schools as families move from one rented accommodation to another. There are of course other significant factors but I am no expert. I should say however that the city suffers in the published league tables in that it is almost unique in having no suburbs within the city boundary; many middle class families live in the adjacent villages. The structure of Primary/ Junior/Secondary/Sixth Form College does not lend itself to older pupils themselves acting as role models for younger pupils although there are very good examples of schools/colleges having innovative programmes of activities with their feeder schools so that pupils across the divide are encouraged to mix.
