Debates on the grammar school
Encyclopedia
The Grammar schools debate is a debate about the merits and demerits of the existence of grammar schools in the United Kingdom. Grammar schools are state schools which select their pupils on the basis of academic ability with pupils sitting an exam in the last year of primary called the 11-plus to determine whether or not they gain a place. The debate on selective education has been widened by measures introduced by the Labour government which allow a proportion of students to be chosen based on their "aptitude" for a particular subject.
oppose selective education, whereas the right-wing such as the Conservative Party
have traditionally supported it. In March 2000 the then Education Secretary
David Blunkett
sought to close down the debate by saying "I'm desperately trying to avoid the whole debate in education concentrating on the issue of selection when it should be concentrating on the raising of standards. Arguments about selection are a past agenda."
Under laws brought in during the 1990s it is possible to ballot on whether to maintain a grammar school by gaining the signatures of a percentage of eligible parents.
who has stated the entire grammar schools debate is "pointless" and "sterile".
intake from state schools has decreased since grammars were largely abolished and studies have shown social mobility
to have decreased.
suggest that the ethos of a grammar school could foster a culture high of attainment.
has argued that there is an adverse psychological effect on pupils when considered failures at aged 11.
with a fully selective education system have a higher proportion of schools in the National Challenge, that is, schools that don't meet the government's floor target of 30% of students achieving at least 5 GCSE grades A*-C including English and Maths. Kent
currently has 33 National Challenge schools, more than any other LEA in England. This is out of a total of 96 secondary schools, representing 34% of the total number of schools, higher than any other Shire non-urban LEA. Lincolnshire
, which also operates a fully selective system, too has a high proportion of National Challenge schools, 29%, compared to 0% in neighboring, fully comprehensive, Leicestershire
.
that claims of raising social mobility were misleading, and that the intake of grammar schools is firmly middle class as evidenced by the low number of students on free school meal
s at grammar schools. Although considering most grammar schools reside in Conservative areas (because Labour councils closed grammars), it is hardly surprising they are dominated by the middle class. It has been argued the current system benefits the middle classes who can afford private tuition for the 11 plus exam.
Similarly, the numbers of places offered to boys and girls varied not according to their results in the 11+, but to practical considerations about the number of places in girls and boys schools. There was no duty on a local authority to provide the same numbers of places to boys and girls, let alone to set the same standard for boys and girls. In practice, where there were equal numbers of places available for boys and girls, the 11+ pass mark tended to be higher for girls than for boys.
, while more general debates about the relationship between IQ and test scores. Important research used in support of the introduction of the eleven plus has since been brought into question. In addition, it is widely agreed that cognitive development continues well past the age of 11, meaning that the 11-plus system will ignore late developers.There have also been allegations, for example by the pro-comprehensive sociologist A. H. Halsey that administrative errors resulted in as many as 70,000 results going astray or being misclassified each year. Although this is a situation which could be rectified, it is further evidence of the practical difficulties involved in assessing children as young as 11. Indeed, such a decision must be accurate, due to the large influence it will have over that child's life.
Labour
In general, the left-wing such as the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
oppose selective education, whereas the right-wing such as the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
have traditionally supported it. In March 2000 the then Education Secretary
Secretary of State for Education and Skills
The Secretary of State for Education is the chief minister of the Department for Education in the United Kingdom government. The position was re-established on 12 May 2010, held by Michael Gove....
David Blunkett
David Blunkett
David Blunkett is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, having represented Sheffield Brightside from 1987 to 2010...
sought to close down the debate by saying "I'm desperately trying to avoid the whole debate in education concentrating on the issue of selection when it should be concentrating on the raising of standards. Arguments about selection are a past agenda."
Under laws brought in during the 1990s it is possible to ballot on whether to maintain a grammar school by gaining the signatures of a percentage of eligible parents.
Conservatives
Conservative Party support for grammars has been lukewarm under David CameronDavid Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
who has stated the entire grammar schools debate is "pointless" and "sterile".
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats would not open any new grammar schools but would not close existing grammars.Individual successes
In 2006, according to the National Grammar Schools Association, pupils in England's 164 grammar schools produced more than half the total number of A grade A-levels in 'harder' A-level subjects than those produced by pupils in up to 2,000 comprehensive schools. Selective state schools produce some of the best performance in examinations based upon league tables.Undermining privilege
In support of grammars it is argued that grammar schools provide an opportunity for students from low-income families to escape poverty and gain a high standard of education without recourse to the fee-paying sector. OxbridgeOxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
intake from state schools has decreased since grammars were largely abolished and studies have shown social mobility
Social mobility
Social mobility refers to the movement of people in a population from one social class or economic level to another. It typically refers to vertical mobility -- movement of individuals or groups up from one socio-economic level to another, often by changing jobs or marrying; but can also refer to...
to have decreased.
More equitable
It has been argued that the grammar system helped bright working class students' social mobility. Chris Woodhead has stated "grammar schools have contributed more to social mobility than any other institution this country has known". Abolishing grammar schools may also be seen as attempting to impose a "one size fits all" education system on an area.School environment
With increasing concern about levels of classroom discipline, it is argued that comprehensive schools can foster an environment that is not conducive to academic achievement. Bright children can suffer bullying for doing well at school, and have to justify their performance to their social group. The grammar school, by insulating the more able, would provide a safer environment to learn. The National Grammar Schools AssociationNational Grammar Schools Association
The National Grammar Schools Association is an organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigns for the promotion of selective education.-History:It was formed in the 1970s...
suggest that the ethos of a grammar school could foster a culture high of attainment.
Parental choice
When parents in Ripon were balloted on whether to maintain a grammar they voted in favour.Divisive
It is argued that the grammar school system is divisive and that the system leads to a waste of talent in those that fail the exam at aged 11. Roy HattersleyRoy Hattersley
Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...
has argued that there is an adverse psychological effect on pupils when considered failures at aged 11.
National Challenge Schools
LEAsLocal Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
with a fully selective education system have a higher proportion of schools in the National Challenge, that is, schools that don't meet the government's floor target of 30% of students achieving at least 5 GCSE grades A*-C including English and Maths. Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
currently has 33 National Challenge schools, more than any other LEA in England. This is out of a total of 96 secondary schools, representing 34% of the total number of schools, higher than any other Shire non-urban LEA. Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, which also operates a fully selective system, too has a high proportion of National Challenge schools, 29%, compared to 0% in neighboring, fully comprehensive, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.
Class bias
Many opponents of the Tripartite System argue that the grammar school was antithetical to social levelling,that claims of raising social mobility were misleading, and that the intake of grammar schools is firmly middle class as evidenced by the low number of students on free school meal
Free school meal
A Free School Meal, provided to a child or young person during a school break, is paid for by Government. For a child to qualify for a Free School Meal, their parent or carer must be receiving particular qualifying benefits as stated by Government...
s at grammar schools. Although considering most grammar schools reside in Conservative areas (because Labour councils closed grammars), it is hardly surprising they are dominated by the middle class. It has been argued the current system benefits the middle classes who can afford private tuition for the 11 plus exam.
Regional and gender variation in opportunities
While an average of 25% of pupils may have received grammar school educations across the country, practicalities and local political decisions led to widespread variations on the ground. Some locations (for example, parts of South Wales), provided grammar school educations to around 40% of children - while many fewer were able to attend grammar schools in other locations.Similarly, the numbers of places offered to boys and girls varied not according to their results in the 11+, but to practical considerations about the number of places in girls and boys schools. There was no duty on a local authority to provide the same numbers of places to boys and girls, let alone to set the same standard for boys and girls. In practice, where there were equal numbers of places available for boys and girls, the 11+ pass mark tended to be higher for girls than for boys.
Starving resources
Some research suggests that closing grammar schools would improve overall test results. Research from York University suggests that the average GCSE performance of able pupils who go to comprehensive schools is as good as that of able pupils who go to grammar schools and that the existence of grammar schools depresses overall exam perforamnce in an LEA.Unrepresentative testing
Early tests have been attacked for their cultural biasCultural bias
Cultural bias is the phenomenon of interpreting and judging phenomena by standards inherent to one's own culture. The phenomenon is sometimes considered a problem central to social and human sciences, such as economics, psychology, anthropology, and sociology...
, while more general debates about the relationship between IQ and test scores. Important research used in support of the introduction of the eleven plus has since been brought into question. In addition, it is widely agreed that cognitive development continues well past the age of 11, meaning that the 11-plus system will ignore late developers.There have also been allegations, for example by the pro-comprehensive sociologist A. H. Halsey that administrative errors resulted in as many as 70,000 results going astray or being misclassified each year. Although this is a situation which could be rectified, it is further evidence of the practical difficulties involved in assessing children as young as 11. Indeed, such a decision must be accurate, due to the large influence it will have over that child's life.
Failures of curriculum
Grammar Schools have been criticised for their negative effect on primary education as schools are subject to continual pressure to train pupils to pass the test.See also
- German Gymnasium debate