Grammar and Faith school expansion.

[quasimodo]

It looks like grammar school places will continue to expand in existing schools with more money being allocated for that process.Similarly with faith schools but underneath the local authority umbrella.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-44067719" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now that this topic has raised its head in the news again I hope we will have more light than heat.It was clear to me since the last election the government was going to keep going down this road in relation to grammar schools.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... rooms.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[tiffinboys]

Too little too late....

[Amber]

Too little too late....

Ah so in these days of austerity, when the NHS is literally falling apart, the entire country turning into one big pothole and social care cannot provide even the basics for the frail elderly, you would advocate even more than £50 million going into funding new grammar school places would you? That is a weird set of priorities TB.

I see teachers' representatives do not share your enthusiasm:

Kevin Courtney, leader of the National Education Union, said: "The grammar school corpse has climbed out of its coffin once again despite evidence of the damage that selective education causes."

I won't even click on the Mail article I am afraid so don't know what it says.

[JaneEyre]

Too little, but better than nothing!
I have just listened to the Secretary of state of Education, Damian Hinds. The interviewer has quoted headteachers who complains of a lack of funds and are angry that this pot of money if given to GS. But these headteachers forget that GS headteachers themselves lack funds and their budget is far more tight than the budget handled by some HT in some deprived areas!
As for attracting student from deprived background into GS, the GS in Birmingham are doing a lot!

[Amber]

But these headteachers forget that GS headteachers themselves lack funds and their budget is far more tight than the budget handled by some HT in some deprived areas!

I think most people would consider children in deprived areas to be a higher priority than grammar schools in times when there is no money even for basic repairs in hospitals, nor for social care of the elderly.

Often I can see both sides of an argument but how anyone can argue for this injection of cash into a privileged few when the fabric of our society is crumbling for lack of investment is beyond me I am afraid. I suppose that is Conservative governments for you.

[tiffinboys]

I expect anti-grammars to be even more vocal now that their children are now on the path to Universities.

However, there is demand for grammar schools, even by those who oppose grammars, e.g. our law makers like Harriet Herman, and for too long grammar schools have been unfairly suffocated.

This £50 million for the 'great' expansion among 163 grammars comes to very little. Not enough even for repairs and renovation of the existing facilities.

[anotherdad]

"Theresa, I've found over £50m in the education budget. What can we do to help close the educational attainment gap, help schools struggling to buy essentials like books, provide decent education for children with SEN and to address some of the divisions in society?"

"Use it to expand grammar schools and build new faith schools."

"But all the evidence shows that that won't address the wider problems of selection by class, nor will it ..."

"GRAMMAR SCHOOLS AND FAITH SCHOOLS! DO IT!"

Honestly, this government. What an absolute shower.

[anotherdad]

I expect anti-grammars to be even more vocal now that their children are now on the path to Universities.

However, there is demand for grammar schools, even by those who oppose grammars, e.g. our law makers like Harriet Herman, and for too long grammar schools have been unfairly suffocated.

This £50 million for the 'great' expansion among 163 grammars comes to very little. Not enough even for repairs and renovation of the existing facilities.

Something tells me she's onto something good.

[tiffinboys]

She being Theresa May.

But still, too little too late.

[anotherdad]

She being Theresa May.

No, she being Harriet Herman and the Hermits.

But still, too little too late.

What a rather perfect summary of the current government's approach to just about everything. In my lifetime I cannot recall a government being such passengers, reacting to events rather than governing them. This is another example of some twitchy knees in Whitehall desperate for something to appease their core voters and to distract from their complete ineptitude in so many other areas.

I'm fairly confident this will come to nought. They've borrowed from New Labour's methods of making vacuous announcements and re-heating fictitious sums of money to generate headlines. They simply don't have the competence to see this through.