According to The Telegraph, a government source has said that Prime Minister, Theresa May is planning to reverse the ban on grammar schools introduced by Tony Blair’s government in 1998.

Grammar Schools: controversial

The perennially controversial subject of grammar school education has dogged successive governments with MPs on both sides of the House of Commons believing the selective school system to be unnecessarily divisive or that it helps bright children from all socio-economic backgrounds gain an academic advantage.Theresa May, herself a grammar school pupil, is widely acknowledged to be in support of the selective school system. Justine Greening, recently appointed Education Secretary, also indicated that she would be “open minded” about allowing an expansion of grammar schools. 

What are grammar schools?

Grammar schools are government-funded secondary schools and the only state schools in England that are allowed to select all their pupils based on academic ability.The system was phased out in the 1970s and was eventually replaced by a system of comprehensive schools, which admitted pupils of all abilities. Most grammar schools became either comprehensive schools or were converted into private schools, but some were allowed to maintain their status and still exist today – around 160 in England.In 1998 Tony Blair’s government introduced restrictions on the creation of any new grammar schools. There have been no new grammar schools for more than 50 years, but this is set to change, as plans to extend one of Kent’s grammar schools by means of an annexe in a town nine miles away received government approval in 2015. 

Grammar schools and social mobility

The Telegraph has reported the government source as describing grammar schools to be instruments of, “social mobility and making sure that people have the opportunity to capitalise on all of their talents. If you’re a really bright kid you should have the opportunity to excel as far as your talents take you.”Tom Watson, Labour's deputy leader responded to the reports saying that his party would oppose grammar schools expansion. While Owen Wilson, Labour leader contender, said that he would “fight tooth and nail” to stop the move, claiming that grammar schools, "entrench disadvantage - they don't overturn it."

Raising standards?

Meanwhile, Conservative MP, Graham Brady, has said that he believes grammar school expansion will help to, “raise standards in state education”. “The ban on new grammar schools introduced by Labour makes no sense,” he said, “and is an unjustified restriction of choice for parents and communities that want this kind of education. Scrapping Labour’s absurd ban on grammar schools would be great news and an early achievement for Theresa May’s government.”

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