School selection critic sent children to grammars
A TORY MP who is one of the leading opponents of Theresa May’s plans for more selective schools sent all three of his children to grammars.
Neil Carmichael, chairman of the education select committee, said the 11 plus is “unfair” and that grammar schools leave children in a “win or lose” position.
He was yesterday forced to defend himself from accusations of “hypocrisy” after being confronted by Julia Hartley Brewer on Talkradio.
Mr Carmichael insisted that he only sent his children to grammar schools because he lived near them, adding that it was “convenient”.
Theresa May has announced plans to launch a new generation of grammar schools by scrapping the ban on them imposed almost 20 years ago.
Mr Carmichael said: “We had a system in Gloucestershire where that was appropriate. I’m not saying we should close existing grammar schools.
“We have got two grammar schools, both of them have expanded. That’s good for them. I was chair of one of those schools. Your attempt to embarrass me, to accuse me of that [hypocri- sy] is backfiring because you are proving the point. We were living in an area where you go through selective education. You have to go through the process.
“Where you have got grammar schools, Kent is an obvious example, you do get parents very keen on them.
“But you also get the overall education performance not being as high as it should be.”
It comes days after the education select committee, which he chairs, published a critical report warning that grammar schools must not select students based on entry tests alone.