Hove MP Peter Kyle has challenged the Education Secretary Justine Greening about the government’s proposals to support the creation of more grammar schools.
But the Conservative cabinet minister sidestepped the Labour MP’s question when she made a statement to the House of Commons yesterday (Monday 12 September).
Mr Kyle said: “For the past five years I have proudly been chair of governors of the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy. It is a school that has 60 per cent of its students on pupil premium.
“This year it increased its GCSE results by 21 per cent. It is truly a school for everyone.
“Can the Secretary of State name a single grammar school that has more than half of its students from areas of deprivation and this year increased its GCSE results by more than 20 per cent?
“If not, will she just remove this ridiculous proposal before it goes too far?”
The Education Secretary said: “The honourable gentleman argues about the status quo while resolutely standing against any proposals to change it.
“As he knows, the challenge that we face is selection by house price. Parents simply do not have the choice if they are not able to buy a house in a catchment area.
“We think that is totally unacceptable and that grammars should do more to reach into disadvantaged communities.
“But we also think that parents in those communities should have the choice of a grammar if that is what they want.”
With selective schools the parents don’t choose – the schools do!
I had an online conversation with a supporter of grammar schools who said he thought every child should go to a grammar school! That is definitely NOT the point. In the so-called golden age of grammar schools, 75% of children went to secondary moderns – including lots of children of Tory voting parents. That’s why the system ended.