Labour’s Act of folly

What sort of country bans by statute the establishment of high-performing schools in which bright pupils thrive? This country does. Under a law passed by the Labour government, no new grammar schools are allowed to open in England. The 163 that existed at the time of the 1998 Education Act were permitted to continue under sufferance.

Yet they go from strength to strength. Grammar schools are now teaching more students than at any time for at least 20 years. A new study shows that the number of grammar pupils aged 11 to 15 has risen by 7,600 – equivalent to building 11 averagesized grammar schools. However, because of the 1998 law, they cannot be accommodated in new schools. Indeed, only because the legislation was amended to allow existing schools to expand has it been possible to cope with the rising demand.

Parents want grammar schools. They are good for social inclusion because they select from all walks of life and are invariably among the best educational institutions in the land. The great difficulty of the old 11-plus examination was that those who failed were often despatched to bad schools. Yet that was never a good reason for closing down the country’s best schools rather than improving the others. Moreover selection ages could be staggered under a new system to obviate the cliff-edge of the old exams.

Theresa May was the first Prime Minister for decades to acknowledge the need for new grammars, but after losing her majority last June her plans fell by the wayside. They should be revived. Even if the legislation does not get through Parliament, at least everyone can see who is blocking the pursuit of educational excellence.