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Aberdare Boys’ Grammar SchoolMemories and Memorabilia |
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Gwyn Evans’ Christmas 1959 Report
from Gwyn Evans
At the end of the Christmas and summer terms in the 1950s and 1960s internal examinations were held in fairly formal conditions. In each room there would be boys from Forms 1 to 4 placed in rows such that you had no boy in the same form sat on either side of you. Duplicated papers, mostly handwritten, were distributed face-down on the desks as in GCE examinations. Not all papers finished at the same time, so those taking short duration papers had to sit quietly and revise until boys taking the longer papers finished.
Gwyn has bravely allowed the report from his very first examination to be made public. It was issued in December 1959. As you can see, teachers in those days wrote very little on school reports.
Interpretation of the teachers’ initials is as follows
- English: BE - Bernard Evans, main subject Welsh, at ABGS 1955–63, before moving to Whitchurch G.S. Cardiff. And thereafter to BBC Wales/Cymru.
- Scripture: JAJ - John Alwyn Jones, at ABGS 1959–64, before moving to a lectureship at Barry Training College.
- Maths & Science: ELW - E.L. Weekes, a temporary teacher 1959–60.
- French: PEP - Peter Edward Phillips, at this time he was Deputy Headteacher. He was a staff member at ABGS 1925–64; and 1915–20 as a pupil.
- Welsh: JHE - John Hopkin Evans, at ABGS 1958–64 before leaving for Ystalyfera G.S.
- Geography: MTJ - Meirion Thomas Jenkins, Head of Geology at ABGS/ABCS from 1949–80. From around 1978, Meirion became one of the Deputy Headteachers.
- Music: DM - Derek Morgan, standing in for Gethin Evans during the year 1959–60.
- Games & Athletics: JO - John Oliver at ABGS from January 1957 to July 1970, when he moved to Mountain Ash Comprehensive School as Head of Maths.
