The week that Comprehensive Future - which campaigns against the 11-plus - held its annual conference was the week that the Liberal MP for Colchester, Bob Russell, told the Education Journalist of the Year reception: "The best thing I ever did was to fail the 11-plus. I had four years at secondary modern school and had a fantastic time."I can't help thinking Bob is a bit confused here. Surely the case against the 11-plus is that secondary moderns were awful? If they were as good as he implies, it is hard to feel too exercised about the exam.
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Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Bob Russell on the 11-plus
From Notebook in today's Guardian Education section:
Doesn't that presume that Bob is anti-grammar? Given that he's MP for one of the places that still has grammar schools, he'd be a reasonable candidate for a pro-grammar Lib Dem MP
ReplyDeleteBob is currently campaigning against an academy in his constituency, which would lead to the closure of two former secondary moderns. Hence his remarks.
ReplyDeleteI doubt many of his constituents would be surprised he failed the 11-plus, though ...