User:Chriscf/Schools

THIS IS A DRAFT, AND BY NO MEANS COMPLETE

This is an attempt to bring some common sense to the matter of schools on AfD, when it is so sorely absent.

Preparation
There should be articles discussing the generic case of a school in a given area, stating typical characteristics, sports, subjects, ages, etc. These should be relatively details. For example, an article on secondary schools in Scotland.
 * Rationale This way, nobody can argue that schools are getting insufficient coverage on Wikipedia

Where possible, these should include information from existing school articles, where they are typical of their type of school in the area.

Rules for voting
"Inherently notable" is a fallacy. Something is important for a reason, not because "it just is". Not all schools are notable or important, since this makes the term redundant. Thus, "inherent notability" is not allowed as a supporting argument for a "keep vote". Similarly "not notable" is not allowed as a supporting argument for "delete".

Arguing technicalities will not be permitted. A common saying around my way is only the guilty need rely on technicalities. A school which deserves inclusion will pass these tests of its own accord (the tests will be designed in such a way to facilitate this). Subjects which would otherwise fail were it not for a mere technicality will be deemed to have failed.

Criteria for automatic deletion
The following represent things that a school must achieve to be included. If a school meets any one of the following criteria, it may be deleted:


 * School does not exist, and has never existed. Proposed schools are not exempt from this.
 * Some schools which have been closed might merit articles, where as those that are yet to open certainly do not.
 * School has fewer than:
 * 2 teachers
 * 3 pupils
 * 1 member of support staff
 * This forcloses the possibility of someone claiming that somehow a family's home tutoring arrangements constitute a valid school. 
 * School does not in the ordinary course of its duties educate pupils above the age of 9
 * Rules out pre-primary, while allowing some primary schools through. Secondary schools pass this criterion anyway.
 * Article contains only material sourced from its own website, official records, and current or former pupils of the school.
 * This is to meet WP:V, WP:RS and WP:NOR. If information is only available from one source, it de facto cannot be verified.
 * Article contains only a location, infobox-type information, and an external link.
 * If this is all the information we can verify, then clearly it doesn't belong.

Criteria for inclusion
Once a school has passed the above tests, it must then achieve a given score from the following items. Each item may only be scored once, so having five unusual subjects on the curriculum (a 1-point item) scores 1 point, not 5. Definition of "unusual" shall be relative to location and community. It is to be expected that a school in India might have kabaddi in its sports curriculum, however, in a British school, this would be unusual. Definition of "extreme" is such that it includes both ends of the spectrum. A school might be notable for having the highest results in the area, another would be equally so for having the lowest.

{| !

3 points
!

2 points
!

1 point

 * Nationally known as a household name
 * Has academic achievement of national importance
 * Pupils conduct their study in a language other than that expected for the location
 * School is/was the first of its kind in its area
 * Has an unusual subject in its curriculum
 * Offers an unusual extra-curricular activity
 * School has extreme educational achievement
 * }
 * Has an unusual subject in its curriculum
 * Offers an unusual extra-curricular activity
 * School has extreme educational achievement
 * }

Items which do not count

 * Famous former pupils
 * That a school is "notable" or "important" through having famous alumni is an example of the association fallacy, since they did not become famous by attending the school.