Letter: Grammar schools
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Your leader of 2 September seeks to perpetuate one of the major inconsistencies of this government's education policy - diversity.
All state secondary schools are required to teach the National Curriculum; their pupils are subjected to SATs at age 14, to GCSEs at 16 and to A- levels at 18 and their results are presented publicly in league tables. All state schools are subject to Ofsted inspection according to exactly the same framework. (Pupils in independent schools are not protected by any of these requirements). So how can there possibly be any diversity?
Or do you, and perhaps the Government, mean that there are specialist schools which are allowed to exclude the children of less affluent or less committed parents; and there other schools which take these children? This is the reality of the "choice and diversity" which was set up by the last Tory government and which has been perpetuated by Mr Blunkett.
In reality there are schools where middle-class parents send their children to keep them away from the "rough kids" and there are other schools for those children whose parents cannot afford or are unable to get them into these "good" schools.
The implied curriculum diversity of specialist technology, languages, arts and sports schools is no more than a sham; as was the supposed curriculum diversity of the "technical" school that I worked in in the 1970s.
HUGH RITCHIE
Ware, Hertfordshire
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments