How can a Government that says it cares about social
justice be willing to label children failures at age 11? asks
Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) general secretary, Dr
Mary Bousted.
Dr Bousted said: “The Government’s plans to expand grammar
schools will label the majority of children failures at the age
of 11. It will damage children’s self-confidence and ambition and
blight their lives.
“How does this square with the Government’s aims of
improving social mobility? It will squander the talent and skills
of the majority of children and risks losing potential engineers,
designers, scientists, doctors, lawyers and teachers from less
advantaged families.
“No one has managed to produce an 11-plus test that can
accurately predict the academic potential of children, nor one
that it is not possible to coach children to pass. This hugely
disadvantages children from families who cannot afford the fees
for coaching. Yet again, this Government seems more interested in
embedding privilege for the few at the expense of the
majority.
“Grammar schools are a total distraction from the most
important issues facing children’s education – school funding
cuts, the shortage of teachers, the shortage of school places,
and the rise in mental health issues among children and young
people.
“Instead of introducing a narrow, backward looking policy
the Government needs to focus on developing the skills and
talents of all children so that the UK has the skills it needs in
the post-Brexit world.”
