Themes and message

The main theme of the text “The boy on the left had no future. The one on the right is a talented star pupil...” by Kamal Ahmed is the impact of environment on the development of children. Connected themes are racism and education. Interestingly, the author himself announces these themes from the very beginning of the article: “This story will reignite the controversy about nature versus nurture. It will renew the debate about race and schools. And it will raise serious questions about how schools deal with what on the surface appear to be no-hope pupils.” (p. 142, ll. 1-7)

The impact of environment on children

The environment children grow up in is often said to affect the way they develop and their personality. By environment we refer to the type of parents and teachers, the school they attend and the general socio-economic conditions. Consequently, if a child grows up in a safe and nurturing environment, he/she has more chances of developing completely and achieving success. But if th...