New Grammar Schools ?

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quasimodo
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Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2014 2:47 pm

New Grammar Schools ?

Post by quasimodo »

Justine Greening the new Education Secretary has stated she is open minded about new grammar schools.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36820097" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Abraham Lincoln
Amber
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Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: New Grammar Schools ?

Post by Amber »

:cry:
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: New Grammar Schools ?

Post by mystery »

Apart from anything, where's the money going to come from?

I suppose it comes with the whole Brexit nostalgia trip. I'm just digging around for my dead mother's old post-war cook books. You know, special recipes for Spam and good things to do with stale bread by Marguerite Patten, that kind of thing.

Thing is, most people who were of a reasonable age in WW2 or the immediate aftermath are no longer with us or their powers to compare then with now are not at their best.

My grandparents had a lovely outside toilet. It was great fun when we stayed there for brief weekends. Maybe building regs for new houses can be revamped once we're outside the EU and everyone can have one of those too.
Amber
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Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: New Grammar Schools ?

Post by Amber »

That made me smile Mystery, thank you.

You're wrong about the spam though dear - we will be eating cucumber sandwiches and drinking chai brought by natives while we sit in the shade of a lovely old colonial hotel somewhere on the subcontinent.

Sorry, OT, but the T is too depressing.
Ladymuck
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Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:04 pm

Re: New Grammar Schools ?

Post by Ladymuck »

Well, we're going to continue to build schools for the current bulge, so new schools are in the budget. Does making them selectove particularly increase the cost?
JamesDean
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Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:03 pm

Re: New Grammar Schools ?

Post by JamesDean »

Ladymuck wrote:Does making them selectove particularly increase the cost?
No, probably not. But they may increase the inequalities in our society that the referendum has highlighted :(

JD
mystery
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Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: New Grammar Schools ?

Post by mystery »

It could increase costs. A six form entry school is supposed to be a good size for economies of scale and ability to offer a broad curriculum. If you then have to provide schools which are split 70/30 on ability you are either going to have children travelling further on average to the "correct" school for their ability - so more travel costs - or you're going to have to provide a greater number of smaller schools so as not to increase average travelling distances. And having a greater number of smaller schools is less cost effective.
Amber
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Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: New Grammar Schools ?

Post by Amber »

JamesDean wrote:
Ladymuck wrote:Does making them selectove particularly increase the cost?
No, probably not. But they may increase the inequalities in our society that the referendum has highlighted :(

JD
+1
It's not about financial cost - it is a high social price to pay and a retrograde step - most civilised societies have never segregated by ability and those that have are generally in the process of dismantling that hierarchy rather than rebuilding it.
quasimodo
Posts: 3854
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2014 2:47 pm

Re: New Grammar Schools ?

Post by quasimodo »

Some of the existing grammar schools I am aware of have already been expanding their numbers both in year 7 and in the sixth form.In my dds grammar school the school is adding another 29 girls to the school in years 7 to 11 and this will continue for another 3 years.The sixth form has also increased its capacity so there will be at least another 200 girls in the school once the process is complete.This is due to a number of factors including pressure for places,increased capacity and reductions and changes in funding.

Another 750,000 school places are needed according to a recent report.The pressures for expansion in existing Grammar schools will continue.
Amber wrote:
JamesDean wrote:
Ladymuck wrote:Does making them selectove particularly increase the cost?
No, probably not. But they may increase the inequalities in our society that the referendum has highlighted :(

JD
+1
It's not about financial cost - it is a high social price to pay and a retrograde step - most civilised societies have never segregated by ability and those that have are generally in the process of dismantling that hierarchy rather than rebuilding it.
I and my siblings and their other halves are all the product of comprehensives.None have looked to go down that road for their children after their own experiences in different comprehensives if they have a choice.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Abraham Lincoln
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Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: New Grammar Schools ?

Post by Amber »

I am the very proud product of what would now be called a 'sink' comprehensive. I reckon my qualifications would stack up against anyone on here, however they were educated.

If there were true comprehensives now I would be very happy for my children to be in one, but there aren't. I will continue to hope that one day there will be a rejection of the nasty idea that intelligence- as expressed through a test at ten, largely accessible to one class- entitles one to better education than others.

End of my contribution to this thread. :)
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