Are Grammar schools the way forward?

[AB Asks]

The Tory party has been divided over grammar schools. David Cameron has announced that the party shouldn't focus too much on them, focussing instead on the city academies favoured by Tony Blair. However, a Tory MP has announced that selective schools get the best results and so should be adopted by the party. Do you agree with this? Are grammar schools the answer?

[kwicky]

To return to more grammar schools is a backward step! To exlude late developers and students with a practical bent the system must also allow for this. Comprehensives in their current form, which tend to dumb down, is not the answer. City academies may suit those who live in cities but what about the remaining 50% who don't. We should learn from other countries especially those that topped the poll recently with the UK and USA finishing 22nd and 23rd.
I have always preferred the streaming method so that all have the opportunity to rise through the system. The reckless and bored students should have a class of their own!

[jake-the-peg]

I have to agree.

Interesting how everybody always talks about grammer schools and not tends to ignore the secondary moderns.

Where I live th 11 plus, grammar schools and and secondary moderns are still firmly in place and many of the latter are really bad.

The 11 plus system divides children effectively into sucesses and failures irreversibly at 10-11

Streaming within comprehensives allows late developers to be accomodated within the system.

Incidently the 'Tory MP's' claims about grammar schools are very dubious, possibly deliberately misleading. If you select the brightest kids from the stablest backgrounds it's unsurprising that the school gets the best exam results.

If you look at the value added calculation ( how much the school has contributed to the child's education) the results are much less favorable to grammar schools

[rabbitygirl]

I'm in my 50's now and I went to sec. modern school. When I hear debates about grammar schools all I can think is I failed my 11 plus and didn't go to a grammar like my younger sister. I cant help but encapsulate the subject personally as 'I just wish someone had put that paper in front of me and said put your full effort into this and your life may be different' and I know I could have tried harder and poss had better opportunities.

[teddybon]

I also did not get into the grammar school I had set my heart on.BUT, i was in the top flight at the secondary modern and reached my full potential there.