Is Ed Balls trying to kill off grammar schools?

Tom

Final, conclusive proof that Janet Daly is totally mental.

Tiberius

It's somewhat worrying, but I just can't get the image of Peter Hitches' rant on QT last week out of my head.

He said that a vote for Labour was always a vote to pay more tax. Perhaps, as illustrated by Balls above, it is actually always a vote for the crushing of human aspiration and spirit.

Marin

Why bother with mergers though, when it is so much easier to 'adapt' the syllabi to the challenges of the 21st century and make sure thereby that each and every school leaver achieve nor less (and no more) than 5 A's at both GCSE and diplomas (A levels are, of course, anachronistic). I'm sure Fidel, among others, will be pleased.

Conor

Janet Daly completely misses the point. The model that Balls has chosen is one that two schools in Ripon adopted after they successfully fought off a ballot against the end of selection in grammar. The schools remain independent, self-governing institutions. But by working more closely together, the Ripon College has doubled its GCSE rates from 22% to 44% over the last three years. Such partnerships and federations are increasingly common, and do not threaten grammar schools. Indeed, they probably embed them more firmly within their communities.

David Lindsay

He'll have the full backing of the Tories, of course.
What was wrong with the Secondary Modern schools? They delivered exactly as much academic and technical education as most people really need and can take in, and vastly, vastly better than that which has so very often replaced them.

At least they had the wit to teach some people (as it happened, girls) how to cook, and to teach some people (as it happened, boys) how to do odd jobs around the house. Both sexes could and should be taught these things.

Think of the people you know (if, admittedly, many Speccie readers do know any) who attended Secondary Moderns. Are they not economically and socially active? Are they not culturally and politically aware?

Then think of Jade Goody, who would have attended a Secondary Modern if there has still been any. I for one have never met a former Secondary Modern pupil who was unable to understand the word "wedlock", or who imagined there to be a foreign country called "East Angular", or who wondered why Eskimos' eyes did not freeze over, or who was worried about being made an "escape goat".

TGF UKIP

And if Ed doesn't Dave and No Brains will.

dexey

David Lindsay
June 11th, 2008 4:51pm
He'll have the full backing of the Tories, of course.
What was wrong with the Secondary Modern schools? They delivered exactly as much academic and technical education as most people really need and can take in, and vastly, vastly better than that which has so very often replaced them

I can answer that: they also held a number of people who didn't belong there. I failed my 11 plus although it turned out that my Junior school head decided that I wouldn't cope with the homework in the Grammar school and the final place went to a local councillor's son.
I started work at 15 and I was in my late 30's before I could afford to go to university.
20 years of my life were wasted on a craftsman's wage. The latter 20 have been on a professional's salary.
The Comprehensive system has never been funded properly.

David Lindsay

"20 years of my life were wasted on a craftsman's wage. The latter 20 have been on a professional's salary."

What, that's it? It's about money?

Several of the best-read generalists I know went to Secondary Moderns (specialists are a different matter, of course). So did most of politically the most active people I know, since such people now tend to be of a certain age anyway. My experience cannot be all that unusual.

Fergus Pickering

Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting, two England cricket captains went to secondary moderns. Brian Blessed, my favourte overactor, went to a secondary modern which he speaks very highly of.

john sheppard

Fergus:
With ref to Brian Blessed
shouldn't that have read " he speaks very loudly of"