TRAFFORD'S grammar schools are being snubbed in a government scheme designed to expand the most popular state schools in Britain, it was claimed.
A government consultation paper reveals that ministers will not allow a new fast-track expansion procedure to be used to promote academic selection, even if there is high demand for extra places.
But the government's five-year education strategy includes plans to make it easier for successful and oversubscribed comprehensive schools - like Parrs Wood in Didsbury - to expand.
Coun Susan Fildes, leader of Trafford council, said: "It's think it's an act of the grossest hypocrisy to exclude schools which produce some of the best GCSE and A-level results in the country from these new fast-track expansion procedures.
"The government has a confused approach to this issue - they talk about allowing some specialist schools to select on the basis of aptitude, but not ability. It seems they are scared of the word `ability'. These half-hearted proposals are another example of the government paying lip service to good schools, without acknowledging their efforts."
Draft regulations published by the Department for Education and Skills last month suggested the period schools are required to consult on expansion should be reduced from six weeks to four, so that popular schools with good exam results can respond to great demand.
But schools like Sale, Stretford, Urmston and Altrincham's boys' and girls' grammar schools will be denied the option - even though the government has allowed an element of selection to be reintroduced into schools by letting specialist arts, sports, music, modern languages and technology schools choose up to 10 per cent of pupils on the basis of "aptitude".
Attempts
Recent figures have shown that since 1999 grammar school pupil numbers nationwide have increased to the equivalent of 11 extra schools.
Labour says the selective system is divisive and that children who fail the 11-plus are written off. When the party was in control in Trafford, attempts to go comprehensive failed.
Trafford council's Labour group leader Coun David Acton said: "There are 24,000 schools in the country and there are just over 150 grammar schools so in terms of policy the government does not regard the issue of grammar schools as a national issue, because practically every local authority has a comprehensive system.
"I don't support selection of any kind - I find it difficult to see how you can select accurately at the age of 11 when children are still developing.
"I think what the government is proposing is quite reasonable."
Should grammar schools be snubbed like this? Have your say.
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what is wrong with parents having the right to chose what type of education they feel would be right for their child. i went to grammar school in trafford where the emphasis was placed on suceeding at every level. educational standards were high and indeed it still is one of the highest achieving schools in the country. my son attends the school which is now co-ed he has the opportunity to excel in whatever sphere he wishes the facilities at this school are excellent. on the other hand the comprehensive he would have been sent to had trafford still not retained selective education is one of the worst schools in the country has been plagued by drug dealing on the school premises had stabbings and a pupil was robbed at knife point on the way home from school by fellow pupils. no thank you my child will grow up to be well educated caring and sucessful. tony blair you can keep your main stream schools which incidentally none of your own children ever went to nor will ever go to. practice what you preach.
No grammar schools should not be snubbed and I have to say I find it terribly hypocritical of the current government to do so, bearing in mind that Tony and Cherie Blair moved home to ensure that their children could go to such a school, and that Diane Abbott tells us that OUR children have to go to comprehensives, but pays for her son to be educated privately.
Talk about saying one thing and doing another!
Interesting comments from Mr Acton - "I don't support selection of any kind - I find it difficult to see how you can select accurately at the age of 11 when children are still developing."
Equally interesting, that when he was Leader of Trafford as a Labour Authority, he failed to move Trafford's schools away from the 11+ selection process!
Taking the story at face value, this is a fuss over 2 weeks extra consultation - or am I missing something? Nothing in the story suggests that Grammar schools can't expand; it's just being used as a vehicle for Trafford to bang on about its supposedly wonderful post-11 schooling. Shame they keep very quiet about their much poorer post-16 record (unless you pass the 11+ of course).
i find it quite amazing that mr acton does not believe in selection at the age of eleven. this comes from the former leader of trafford council who for seven years kept the selection procedure in place. i am a former pupil of stretford grammar albeit 28 years ago. the standards were excellent then and have continued to flourish.
give the same opportunities to all school kids.
it is quite apparent that mr acton can only make non-constructive comments and has done so since june 2004, i wonder why?.