Sunday 17 July 2016

Is the mood music changing for Grammar Schools?

I am absolutely delighted that the Government (and party's) attitude towards selective education appears to be changing.

I attended a comprehensive school, but I was fortunate insofar as it had been a grammar a few years earlier. The ethos was still there: respect for the teachers, morning assembly, discipline, focus on learning with zero tolerance towards disruptive pupils.

At the last Olympic Games our entire country celebrated the success of our athletes.They achieved success because their skill was identified, they were removed from the pack and given the specialist training and support to ensure they fulfilled their potential. No-one said this was wrong. No-one said that the sprinters and runners and rowers left behind felt snubbed. As far as I can tell, their success was celebrated by their former colleagues and the nation cheered their success.

If we accept that our top athletes benefit for specialist training and focused support, how on earth can we deny the same potential to our top students? Britain needs excellence and we should be prepared to identify and develop it in every aspect of our national life. And this includes our education system.

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