tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post3190553035429545081..comments2024-03-28T22:32:50.562+00:00Comments on Liberal England: Do Liberal Democrats campaign against grammar schools?Jonathan Calderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-28268691515797029822013-02-02T23:54:36.370+00:002013-02-02T23:54:36.370+00:00Lib Dems in Kent voted in favour of opening a new ...Lib Dems in Kent voted in favour of opening a new Grammer school in Sevenoaks. I think local policy on selection in general is to sit on the fence and let everyone assume we agree with them.<br /><br />Since, like most middle class parents, I confidently expect my child to sail through the 11 plus I find it hard to disagree<br /><br />I do feel kind of guilty about it though.Simonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-58002703121568864732013-02-02T17:17:35.506+00:002013-02-02T17:17:35.506+00:00I'm sorry I missed your tweet the first time r...I'm sorry I missed your tweet the first time round, dear Bonkers but I'm happy to answer now. My first political act at the age of 10 was to gather signatures on my Tory/Teacher father's petition in favour of comprehensive education in 1970. Margaret Thatcher had done a deal with Sir Tatton Brinton MP - chief amongst the carpet barons of Kidderminster, to retain the 4.5 / 95.5% Grammar/Secondary Modern ratio that gave him the educated management and blissfully ignorant shop floor staff he needed to run the town. <br /><br />I subsequently passed the 11+ and went to King Charles I Grammar School for Boys along with 60 others. The rest, including some much brighter kids from my primary school were doomed to duke it out over the woodwork benches of Harry Cheshire Secondary Modern School for thugs. <br /><br />However, contrary to popular belief, my education wasn't remarkable. We didn't send many kids to Oxbridge - a couple but not many. And what was also clear was that some of us had peaked our intellectual superiority at 11 but developed little thereafter. Some at Harry Cheshire doubtless peaked too late. <br /><br />Most of the arguments I hear from parents about the good old days of Grammar Schools are based on the assumption that their child will get in. Well, life's not like that and we should not pander to such foolishness. <br /><br />There are two reasons why retaining Grammar Schools is illiberal: 1: It is elitist and guarantees a worse education for the majority of kids and 2. Deciding a child's future at 11 is patently irresponsible. <br /><br />What we should be aiming for is flexibility within schools to allow children to flourish according to their own talents and their own timescale. It is not difficult but it does require a lot more trust from parents and a lot less meddling from Whitehall. <br /><br />Let's not fall into the Tory trap of seeking some rose-tinted good old days concept that never really existed. Neville Farmernoreply@blogger.com