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Grammar schools will cut private-school dominance of professions Grammar schools 'will cut private-school dominance of professions'
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New grammar schools will be able to “specialise in more academically able children” wanting to join elite professions, such as law and medicine, the schools minister, Nick Gibb, has told a teachers’ conference.New grammar schools will be able to “specialise in more academically able children” wanting to join elite professions, such as law and medicine, the schools minister, Nick Gibb, has told a teachers’ conference.
Responding to a question from a pupil – who asked how the government planned to help non-grammar school pupils access top universities – Gibb said one of the aims was to use grammar schools to compete against independent school pupils in the professions.Responding to a question from a pupil – who asked how the government planned to help non-grammar school pupils access top universities – Gibb said one of the aims was to use grammar schools to compete against independent school pupils in the professions.
“These reforms are the next stage. These are about ensuring that we widen opportunity, that the professions that have become dominated by children educated in the independent sector no longer do so. We want to widen opportunities to those professions,” Gibb told the ResearchEd national conference in London.“These reforms are the next stage. These are about ensuring that we widen opportunity, that the professions that have become dominated by children educated in the independent sector no longer do so. We want to widen opportunities to those professions,” Gibb told the ResearchEd national conference in London.
“I think one of the way of doing that is to allow schools to specialise in academically able children.”“I think one of the way of doing that is to allow schools to specialise in academically able children.”
Gibb’s comments came after he gave a 20-minute speech on the government’s education reforms without mentioning grammar schools or Theresa May’s speech the day before, in which she vowed to bring back grammar schools.Gibb’s comments came after he gave a 20-minute speech on the government’s education reforms without mentioning grammar schools or Theresa May’s speech the day before, in which she vowed to bring back grammar schools.
Instead Gibb responded politely to a barrage of questions on the subject from teachers, challenging him to explain why selection was being brought back.Instead Gibb responded politely to a barrage of questions on the subject from teachers, challenging him to explain why selection was being brought back.
Asked why the former education secretary Nicky Morgan, Gibb’s former boss at the Department for Education, had called it a retrograde step, the Bognor MP claimed the green paper and consultation document to be published on Monday would win over critics, without mentioning Morgan by name.Asked why the former education secretary Nicky Morgan, Gibb’s former boss at the Department for Education, had called it a retrograde step, the Bognor MP claimed the green paper and consultation document to be published on Monday would win over critics, without mentioning Morgan by name.
Gibb said: “We will be able to persuade colleagues that this is a very important element of our education reforms, building on education reforms of the last six years.”Gibb said: “We will be able to persuade colleagues that this is a very important element of our education reforms, building on education reforms of the last six years.”
Gibb hinted that the green paper would propose forcing grammar schools to accept quotas of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds in order to justify selection.Gibb hinted that the green paper would propose forcing grammar schools to accept quotas of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds in order to justify selection.
“Once people see the details of the consultation documents – the conditions that will be applied to those grammar schools that want to expand and those schools that want to adopt selection criteria in their admissions, all the conditions about ensuring they have a significant intake from children from more disadvantaged backgrounds – my view is that will be very persuasive,” Gibb said.“Once people see the details of the consultation documents – the conditions that will be applied to those grammar schools that want to expand and those schools that want to adopt selection criteria in their admissions, all the conditions about ensuring they have a significant intake from children from more disadvantaged backgrounds – my view is that will be very persuasive,” Gibb said.
Gibb, who served under Michael Gove and Morgan before Justine Greening took up the education secretary role, told another questioner that “any free school or academy that wants to use selection in their admissions criteria, they will have to demonstrate what they are doing to increase the proportion of pupils, not just from children who qualify for free school meals but for that next income cohort, people who are struggling to make ends meet.Gibb, who served under Michael Gove and Morgan before Justine Greening took up the education secretary role, told another questioner that “any free school or academy that wants to use selection in their admissions criteria, they will have to demonstrate what they are doing to increase the proportion of pupils, not just from children who qualify for free school meals but for that next income cohort, people who are struggling to make ends meet.
“We want make sure the schools are doing more to attract poorer pupils into those schools.”“We want make sure the schools are doing more to attract poorer pupils into those schools.”
When Gibb was challenged by a teacher to explain figures showing that existing grammar schools consistently had the lowest proportion of pupils on free school meals, he replied: “We need to address all those issues. But thatisn’t a reason for not proceeding with this policy.”When Gibb was challenged by a teacher to explain figures showing that existing grammar schools consistently had the lowest proportion of pupils on free school meals, he replied: “We need to address all those issues. But thatisn’t a reason for not proceeding with this policy.”
Gibb also told the conference that in some cases it was the parents from disadvantaged backgrounds who were not allowing their children to sit entrance exams.Gibb also told the conference that in some cases it was the parents from disadvantaged backgrounds who were not allowing their children to sit entrance exams.
But the schools minister admitted he couldn’t explain why, even after that was taken into account, fewer bright children from poor backgrounds were accepted. “It should be the same, frankly,” said Gibb.But the schools minister admitted he couldn’t explain why, even after that was taken into account, fewer bright children from poor backgrounds were accepted. “It should be the same, frankly,” said Gibb.
Despite his lukewarm defence of the proposal, Gibb insisted that the new form of grammar school system would be different from that of the 50s and 60s. “We’re not in that world any more,” he said.Despite his lukewarm defence of the proposal, Gibb insisted that the new form of grammar school system would be different from that of the 50s and 60s. “We’re not in that world any more,” he said.
Sam Freedman, a policy advisor at the DfE under Gove and a critic of reviving grammar schools, told the conference that polling showed selection was “not as popular with the wider public as people think, and not that popular with parents”.Sam Freedman, a policy advisor at the DfE under Gove and a critic of reviving grammar schools, told the conference that polling showed selection was “not as popular with the wider public as people think, and not that popular with parents”.
Freedman noted that the grammar school system was disrupted by parent protests in the 50s and 60s, and he claimed that 20 to 30 Tory MPs could vote against legislation allowing new grammars to open.Freedman noted that the grammar school system was disrupted by parent protests in the 50s and 60s, and he claimed that 20 to 30 Tory MPs could vote against legislation allowing new grammars to open.
If the SNP decided to also vote against the new proposals, that would be enough to block the legislation.If the SNP decided to also vote against the new proposals, that would be enough to block the legislation.