I refer to your article in AV of 13th August on page 11 where you state that Teresa May is planning to launch a new generation of (government funded ) grammar schools and lift a ban on them introduced by Labour in 1998.
Since Labour introduced the ban, the standard as gone down. In 2014, the OECD report on school performance league tables among 65 most advanced countries found that UK had fallen behind: In Science, from 4th to 14th. In Literacy from 7th to 17th. In Numeracy, from 8th to 24th. This was between 2000 and 2006. By 2010, in Literacy, UK performance fell further to 25th; and in Numeracy to 26th.
If there are currently 3,000 state secondary schools in England, and only 163 grammar schools, that number should be increased to 1,200 grammar schools.
Why? The pupils can be divided at age 11 into five levels of ability: outstanding, above average, average, below average and poor, probably spread equally. Those who are outstanding and above average represent about 40% of the student population. They have been denied faster academic progress by being forced to study in comprehensive schools for almost 20 years by now.
Nagindas Khajuria
By email
