Education Committee Decide To Keep The County's Grammar Schools

A news report focusing on the introduction of comprehensive schools in Buckinghamshire, and the local education committee's decision to retain its grammar schools.

Children aged between 11 and 16 are shown outside on a school playground. Most are wearing grey school uniform jumpers and dark trousers, with many wearing either school blazers or coats on top. A number of the children are playing football. In an interview, Councillor John Campbell explains that the council is not fighting against comprehensive schooling as the county already has some comprehensive schools. Cllr Campbell explains that the county has a number of famous and “educationally extremely good” grammar schools, and the council is reluctant to throw away something they consider good for the relative uncertainty of comprehensive schools. When asked by Chris Young about public support for the decision, the councillor explains that a recent poll alongside consultation with parents and teachers has shown support for retaining grammar schools. Mentioning the government announcement that comprehensive schooling will soon become compulsory by law, Young asks the councillor what chance the council will have of maintaining that position. Cllr Campbell responds that he doesn’t think they have much chance at all, and that the council has no intention of “doing a Clay Cross” (see background information) and will abide by the law. More children are shown on the playground, and going in and out of the school. In a series of public interviews on Sycamore Road in Amersham, Chris Young asks local people for their thoughts. A dark-haired man with thick, square-rimmed glasses says that he believes the county should retain grammar schools, as he believes children of higher ability should be able to progress through the system faster. A younger man with dark hair and a moustache says that if he has children in future, he would like for them to attend a grammar school. When asked why, he replies that he imagines comprehensive schools to be large and complex buildings which children are treated as numbers rather than individuals. Finally a dark-haired woman in a beige headscarf says that she is in favour of comprehensive schools, and disagrees with the council’s statement that most people want to retain grammar schools. The woman explains that she is very interested in education as she used to be a teacher, and now has children in the local schools. She then goes on to say that there would be a lot of people in favour of comprehensives in the Chiltern area, and that she had taken part in numerous referenda which confirmed this but were then ignored.

Keywords

Education; Schools; Grammar Schools; Comprehensive Schools; Secondary Education

Background Information

In 1965, the Labour government issued instructions that all schools were to prepare to convert to a comprehensive schooling model and leave behind the grammar school model based on testing at the age of 11. The requirement for all schools to convert was removed in 1970 by Margaret Thatcher (as Education Secretary) when the Conservatives regained power. By 1975 the majority of local authorities had abandoned the 11+ examination and adopted the comprehensive system. (Wikipedia) The reference to "doing a Clay Cross" by Cllr John Campbell refers to the town of Clay Cross in Derbyshire. In 1972 the council refused to implement a government mandated council housing rent increase, and the eleven Labour councillors involved were removed from their party's list of approved candidates and each ordered to pay a £635 surcharge as a penalty for "negligence and misconduct". (Wikipedia)