Teachers to launch legal challenge on plans to set up ‘grammar streams’ in comprehensives
TEACHERS ARE prepared to launch a legal challenge over “sneaking” plans to expand selective education.
Kevin Courtney, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) general secretary, said “a few” schools have been identified which it believes are setting up “grammar streams” – selective education in comprehensive schools based on the results of a test.
Teaching staff at the union’s annual conference in Cardiff today are expected to vote on taking possible legal action against individual schools.
The vote comes in the same week that Education Secretary Justine Greening said selection in new 21st century grammar schools would increase the options for young people “to truly help make the most of their talents”.
Mr Courtney said: “The Conservatives did not include this in their 2015 manifesto.
“If the Government has legislated not to have new grammar schools, there shouldn’t be ways of sneaking around it.
“That’s what we think schools are doing at the moment.”
He said the NUT has written to Ms Greening complaining about selection within academy trusts, but had not received a reply.
He told reporters: “The idea that you can have grammar schools open to all, we think is an oxymoron.
“What does that mean to say grammar schools can be open to all? That sounds like comprehensive schools to me. If they (the Government) really wanted to have a selective system that was unbiased across social classes, then they know how to do that.”
Chancellor Philip Hammond previously set out plans for £500 million for additional spending on schools in England, with £320m for 140 new free schools including new grammar schools promised by Theresa May.