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| Grammar schools: Strong opinion in 'emotive' debate | Grammar schools: Strong opinion in 'emotive' debate |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Education Secretary Justine Greening says the government will take a "pragmatic" look at new grammar schools - but recognises there is an "emotive" debate over the issue. | Education Secretary Justine Greening says the government will take a "pragmatic" look at new grammar schools - but recognises there is an "emotive" debate over the issue. |
| Labour says ministers are showing a "dangerous misunderstanding" of issues facing schools in England. | Labour says ministers are showing a "dangerous misunderstanding" of issues facing schools in England. |
| We spoke to parents and ex-pupils with strong opinions on both sides of the debate. | We spoke to parents and ex-pupils with strong opinions on both sides of the debate. |
| The parents' views: | The parents' views: |
| David Noble, 42, East Finchley, London | David Noble, 42, East Finchley, London |
| "I am a Conservative Party activist and married to a primary school teacher. I have two kids going to a new free school. I am very against opening new grammar schools. | "I am a Conservative Party activist and married to a primary school teacher. I have two kids going to a new free school. I am very against opening new grammar schools. |
| "Education is paid for by the taxpayer and so should therefore be uniformly excellent in all state schools. With technology this may one day be achievable. | "Education is paid for by the taxpayer and so should therefore be uniformly excellent in all state schools. With technology this may one day be achievable. |
| "Would anybody want a two-tier health service, police force or fire brigade? The answer is no. We should not have this in state education. | "Would anybody want a two-tier health service, police force or fire brigade? The answer is no. We should not have this in state education. |
| "Grammar schools benefit the middle and wealthy classes as those are the people who can pay for tutoring. This is a fact and it outrages me that some in the Conservative Party ignore this. | "Grammar schools benefit the middle and wealthy classes as those are the people who can pay for tutoring. This is a fact and it outrages me that some in the Conservative Party ignore this. |
| "I speak to some people who are massively pro-grammar schools purely from the perspective that they see it as saving £15,000 a year on private school education. They would throw the kitchen sink at their kids - by tutoring them - to get them to pass the 11-plus. | "I speak to some people who are massively pro-grammar schools purely from the perspective that they see it as saving £15,000 a year on private school education. They would throw the kitchen sink at their kids - by tutoring them - to get them to pass the 11-plus. |
| "The wealthy and middle classes already have private schools and a postcode lottery that works in their favour, so why give them a third option? | "The wealthy and middle classes already have private schools and a postcode lottery that works in their favour, so why give them a third option? |
| "A better model is streaming or a competitive environment in state comprehensive schools." | "A better model is streaming or a competitive environment in state comprehensive schools." |
| Scott Greenwood, 50, Greenwich, London | Scott Greenwood, 50, Greenwich, London |
| "The standard of non-grammars is not high enough. I agree that all schools should improve - but how long will that take? Should my son's education suffer whilst they try to sort out the problems? | "The standard of non-grammars is not high enough. I agree that all schools should improve - but how long will that take? Should my son's education suffer whilst they try to sort out the problems? |
| "My son is 11 and has just started at a grammar school. He was lucky, he was able to take the 11-plus for a school in Kent as there aren't any in Greenwich. | "My son is 11 and has just started at a grammar school. He was lucky, he was able to take the 11-plus for a school in Kent as there aren't any in Greenwich. |
| "We did pay for extra tuition, but we also found the time to give him home tuition and installed a real work ethic into him. All the hard work he put in has paid off. | "We did pay for extra tuition, but we also found the time to give him home tuition and installed a real work ethic into him. All the hard work he put in has paid off. |
| "And he was very keen to go to a grammar school even though most of his friends were going to a different school up the road. | "And he was very keen to go to a grammar school even though most of his friends were going to a different school up the road. |
| "When we took him to see various schools, he could see the extra subjects and opportunities available at the grammar. | "When we took him to see various schools, he could see the extra subjects and opportunities available at the grammar. |
| "If he went to a non-grammar he would be so far ahead of most of the other kids that the teachers wouldn't be able to give him the push he needs. | "If he went to a non-grammar he would be so far ahead of most of the other kids that the teachers wouldn't be able to give him the push he needs. |
| "If we educate all our children to mediocre standards then who will become a doctor, lawyer or a politician? They will only be fit to do menial jobs and not have the skills to become leaders or scientists and push the boundaries." | "If we educate all our children to mediocre standards then who will become a doctor, lawyer or a politician? They will only be fit to do menial jobs and not have the skills to become leaders or scientists and push the boundaries." |
| The ex-pupils' views: | The ex-pupils' views: |
| Maggie Craig, 60, Croydon, Surrey | Maggie Craig, 60, Croydon, Surrey |
| "I am the middle child, my elder brother and younger sister passed their 11-plus. I failed and went to the comprehensive school. | "I am the middle child, my elder brother and younger sister passed their 11-plus. I failed and went to the comprehensive school. |
| "After that I felt like a failure. I felt like I was the stupid one in the family. At the time, the view in society was that if you didn't go to a grammar school you had to do the more menial jobs. | "After that I felt like a failure. I felt like I was the stupid one in the family. At the time, the view in society was that if you didn't go to a grammar school you had to do the more menial jobs. |
| "When I left school I felt I had less options and of course I wasn't able to take the same exams as my siblings, doing CSEs instead of O-levels. | "When I left school I felt I had less options and of course I wasn't able to take the same exams as my siblings, doing CSEs instead of O-levels. |
| "I still had a good time at school and was top of my classes there. But my brother and sister had more chances to go abroad on school trips. I felt I was missing out. | "I still had a good time at school and was top of my classes there. But my brother and sister had more chances to go abroad on school trips. I felt I was missing out. |
| "Later, after I was married and had children I did evening classes to better myself. I had been working in catering for many years but I wanted to get better work. After the classes I got a job in administration. | "Later, after I was married and had children I did evening classes to better myself. I had been working in catering for many years but I wanted to get better work. After the classes I got a job in administration. |
| "It would be stupid to bring grammar schools back and make so many children feel like failures. You shouldn't have to take a test at the age of 11." | "It would be stupid to bring grammar schools back and make so many children feel like failures. You shouldn't have to take a test at the age of 11." |
| Denise Taylor, 72, Merseyside | Denise Taylor, 72, Merseyside |
| "I attended a grammar school, I went to university, I became a teacher and then head teacher of a secondary school. | "I attended a grammar school, I went to university, I became a teacher and then head teacher of a secondary school. |
| "My parents were very working class, we lived in a council house and we were poor - but they valued education and encouraged me to do well at school. | "My parents were very working class, we lived in a council house and we were poor - but they valued education and encouraged me to do well at school. |
| "At the grammar school there was a strong ethos of achievement and a work ethic which was not disturbed by poor behaviour and disruption of learning in lessons. | "At the grammar school there was a strong ethos of achievement and a work ethic which was not disturbed by poor behaviour and disruption of learning in lessons. |
| "This is the strength of grammar schools. Quite simply the children want to learn, they want work and they do achieve. | "This is the strength of grammar schools. Quite simply the children want to learn, they want work and they do achieve. |
| "Removal of this from poor working class children with ability has considerably reduced their chances of a good education. | "Removal of this from poor working class children with ability has considerably reduced their chances of a good education. |
| "However, the downside of this for the children who do not secure a place - or who do not have the ability to do so - is unacceptable. Any increase in selection should be accompanied by appropriate support for the education of these children. | "However, the downside of this for the children who do not secure a place - or who do not have the ability to do so - is unacceptable. Any increase in selection should be accompanied by appropriate support for the education of these children. |
| "The most important thing for a successful education is the support of parents for the school and the provision of classes with good behaviour and good teaching. This is what grammar schools provide." | "The most important thing for a successful education is the support of parents for the school and the provision of classes with good behaviour and good teaching. This is what grammar schools provide." |
| Pauline Messenger, 67, Norfolk | |
| "Living in Buckinghamshire, as I did then, my own daughter had access to that system. | "Living in Buckinghamshire, as I did then, my own daughter had access to that system. |
| "She attended a highly-respected local grammar, where she gained an excellent education, leading to further education opportunities at university. | "She attended a highly-respected local grammar, where she gained an excellent education, leading to further education opportunities at university. |
| "I attended a grammar school in Islington, London and my past experiences there recommended the whole grammar school ethos to me. | "I attended a grammar school in Islington, London and my past experiences there recommended the whole grammar school ethos to me. |
| "Born into a poor locality, living in a council flat, my grammar school provided me with the opportunity to 'better' myself and have access to a better, greatly improved way of life and better career. | "Born into a poor locality, living in a council flat, my grammar school provided me with the opportunity to 'better' myself and have access to a better, greatly improved way of life and better career. |
| "I very much feel other children from similar backgrounds should have those opportunities. | "I very much feel other children from similar backgrounds should have those opportunities. |
| "For those children with high ability, it is good for them to be in a class along with others possessing equal learning ability because everyone then moves along at the same pace and no-one is held back." | "For those children with high ability, it is good for them to be in a class along with others possessing equal learning ability because everyone then moves along at the same pace and no-one is held back." |
| Nathan Williams, BBC UGC and Social News team | Nathan Williams, BBC UGC and Social News team |