Grammar Schools
Existing Grammar schools are doing a superb job: there is not, and never has been, any criticism from the Conservative Party of the contribution of existing Grammar Schools. There is no possibility whatsoever that a Conservative government would close, limit, or in any way attack the 164 grammar schools which still exist.
As David Willetts said in his speech which started the recent controversy: ‘For those children from modest backgrounds who do get to grammar schools the benefits are enormous. And we will not get rid of those grammar schools that remain."
However, any party which aspires to govern our country in the 21st century needs to address the needs of today's children and tomorrow's children in all the thousands of schools in the country, not just those who have a chance to attend one of fewer than 200 schools.
School Education in this country is a matter for local democratic choice - and after far too many powers and choices have been taken away from local communities the Conservatives are certainly not going to start off in government when we win a national election by taking away another one. So any policy to close, keep, or expand Grammar schools would have to be implemented at Local Education Authority level.
In a relatively small number of Local Education Authority areas, supporters of Grammar Schools have fought off every attempt to close those schools over the past forty years. In those council areas the debate is over and the local Grammar schools won because they have popular support. Even Tony Blair at the height of his power did not attempt to over-ride the wishes of people in those areas. Labour introduced arrangements for a local referendum on proposals to close grammar schools, and in the few instances where pro-comprehensive campaigners managed to trigger such a votes, the grammar schools won.
In the rest of the country the local democratic choice was different and most areas went comprehensive three decades ago. And although there were one or two attempts in the 80's and 90's to bring back grammar schools in comprehensive areas, not one single new grammar school was introduced during the 18 years between 1979 and 1997. In the majority of the country it is the 11 plus which is history.
If we want to address the needs of the vast majority of young people now, we are unlikely to achieve it by re-creating grammar schools.
But we don't have to. A couple of years back Tony Blair proposed one of his few good pieces of legislation, on Academy Schools. The left wing hated it so much that he had to rely on Tory votes to get it through parliament.
We voted for the law which made it possible for existing schools to become Academies, and for new Academy schools to be opened. When we return to power, we must use those laws.
Even this will sometimes be difficult and controversial, as the current debate over a new Academy to be formed by merging schools in Copeland indicates. But by using the laws which are in place now to provide for more Academy schools, we will be able to do more good for more children more quickly than we can possibly achieve by re-fighting the battles of thirty years ago.
Conservative policy is:
1) We believe education is the key to social mobility, and a Conservative Government will focus remorselessly on raising standards for all children. We will do this by giving teachers more power to implement effective discipline, reversing progressive teaching fads in favour of tried and tested teaching methods, and making it easier to create more good schools in the state sector.
2) We support existing grammar schools, and will protect them where they remain. But David Cameron has made it clear there will be no return to the 11-plus where it has long-since disappeared, and that the debate over creating more grammar schools is a distraction from our priority of raising standards for all children.
The new proposals in David Willetts’ speech focused on how we can use the Academy programme to create more diversity and bring in new providers using tried and tested teaching methods. The specific proposals are:
a) Removing bureaucratic barriers to make it easier to set up state schools. Currently there are too many barriers in the way of new schools opening. We are committed to making it easier for parents and others to create new schools if that is what they wish to do.
b) Removing the requirement for sponsors of Academies to contribute £2m, to allow more schools to become Academies. If donors wish to give money to Academies that is something for which they should be applauded. But there should no longer be any requirement for a contribution from an external donor on these lines as a prerequisite for creating an Academy.
c) A single Academy contract for multiple schools to make it easier for outside providers to run nationwide networks of schools within the maintained sector. So far the Academy programme has been used very much for school by school reform. A multi-school academy would cut out the cumbersome process of negotiating contracts one by one, and make it much easier for new regional and national organisations offering a consistent brand of state education to emerge.
d) Inviting new Academy providers to run schools with whole class teaching, streaming, setting and firm discipline so we can show that even in our toughest areas, traditional teaching works. We believe whole class teaching, setting and streaming, and a robust discipline policy are effective ways of improving standards. We will fund a number of Academy providers who commit themselves in their contracts to run schools using traditional ways of teaching, and properly evaluate the results.
e) Commissioning independent research to evaluate teaching methods before they go nationwide so there is a scientific and long-term basis for what works best. We will consult the profession on a new approach to research, independent of Ministers, which evaluates educational innovation before it goes nationwide. Only then will we get proper respect for teachers as a profession whilst also creating a stronger basis for Ministers and the Department to engage with the profession, drawing on evidence of what works.
I believe this is a good, effective programme to improve education for every child in this country which does not in any way weaken or abandon the positive things which the Conservative party has always stood for.
As David Willetts said in his speech which started the recent controversy: ‘For those children from modest backgrounds who do get to grammar schools the benefits are enormous. And we will not get rid of those grammar schools that remain."
However, any party which aspires to govern our country in the 21st century needs to address the needs of today's children and tomorrow's children in all the thousands of schools in the country, not just those who have a chance to attend one of fewer than 200 schools.
School Education in this country is a matter for local democratic choice - and after far too many powers and choices have been taken away from local communities the Conservatives are certainly not going to start off in government when we win a national election by taking away another one. So any policy to close, keep, or expand Grammar schools would have to be implemented at Local Education Authority level.
In a relatively small number of Local Education Authority areas, supporters of Grammar Schools have fought off every attempt to close those schools over the past forty years. In those council areas the debate is over and the local Grammar schools won because they have popular support. Even Tony Blair at the height of his power did not attempt to over-ride the wishes of people in those areas. Labour introduced arrangements for a local referendum on proposals to close grammar schools, and in the few instances where pro-comprehensive campaigners managed to trigger such a votes, the grammar schools won.
In the rest of the country the local democratic choice was different and most areas went comprehensive three decades ago. And although there were one or two attempts in the 80's and 90's to bring back grammar schools in comprehensive areas, not one single new grammar school was introduced during the 18 years between 1979 and 1997. In the majority of the country it is the 11 plus which is history.
If we want to address the needs of the vast majority of young people now, we are unlikely to achieve it by re-creating grammar schools.
But we don't have to. A couple of years back Tony Blair proposed one of his few good pieces of legislation, on Academy Schools. The left wing hated it so much that he had to rely on Tory votes to get it through parliament.
We voted for the law which made it possible for existing schools to become Academies, and for new Academy schools to be opened. When we return to power, we must use those laws.
Even this will sometimes be difficult and controversial, as the current debate over a new Academy to be formed by merging schools in Copeland indicates. But by using the laws which are in place now to provide for more Academy schools, we will be able to do more good for more children more quickly than we can possibly achieve by re-fighting the battles of thirty years ago.
Conservative policy is:
1) We believe education is the key to social mobility, and a Conservative Government will focus remorselessly on raising standards for all children. We will do this by giving teachers more power to implement effective discipline, reversing progressive teaching fads in favour of tried and tested teaching methods, and making it easier to create more good schools in the state sector.
2) We support existing grammar schools, and will protect them where they remain. But David Cameron has made it clear there will be no return to the 11-plus where it has long-since disappeared, and that the debate over creating more grammar schools is a distraction from our priority of raising standards for all children.
The new proposals in David Willetts’ speech focused on how we can use the Academy programme to create more diversity and bring in new providers using tried and tested teaching methods. The specific proposals are:
a) Removing bureaucratic barriers to make it easier to set up state schools. Currently there are too many barriers in the way of new schools opening. We are committed to making it easier for parents and others to create new schools if that is what they wish to do.
b) Removing the requirement for sponsors of Academies to contribute £2m, to allow more schools to become Academies. If donors wish to give money to Academies that is something for which they should be applauded. But there should no longer be any requirement for a contribution from an external donor on these lines as a prerequisite for creating an Academy.
c) A single Academy contract for multiple schools to make it easier for outside providers to run nationwide networks of schools within the maintained sector. So far the Academy programme has been used very much for school by school reform. A multi-school academy would cut out the cumbersome process of negotiating contracts one by one, and make it much easier for new regional and national organisations offering a consistent brand of state education to emerge.
d) Inviting new Academy providers to run schools with whole class teaching, streaming, setting and firm discipline so we can show that even in our toughest areas, traditional teaching works. We believe whole class teaching, setting and streaming, and a robust discipline policy are effective ways of improving standards. We will fund a number of Academy providers who commit themselves in their contracts to run schools using traditional ways of teaching, and properly evaluate the results.
e) Commissioning independent research to evaluate teaching methods before they go nationwide so there is a scientific and long-term basis for what works best. We will consult the profession on a new approach to research, independent of Ministers, which evaluates educational innovation before it goes nationwide. Only then will we get proper respect for teachers as a profession whilst also creating a stronger basis for Ministers and the Department to engage with the profession, drawing on evidence of what works.
I believe this is a good, effective programme to improve education for every child in this country which does not in any way weaken or abandon the positive things which the Conservative party has always stood for.
Comments
As I have already pointed out in today's Daily Mail "David Willetts is a superb Shadow Education Secretary and David Cameron is the best leader the Conservative Party has had for many years."
"Parents want the Conservative Party to do something about the shocking standards in all Britain's schools, such as increasing the number of pupils who leave with five GCSE's, including English and Maths, and decreasing the number who leave with no qualifications at all."
"The party should certainly not be tying itself up in knots over grammar school policy."
I believe the way forward is by doing what is best for Britain and not for a select few.
As Britain changes so should the Conservative Party and if that means supporting city academies with the support from the private sector then so be it.
Well done David Cameron and well done David Willetts - please keep up the good work!