17th February 2010 9:00
By Blue Tutors
The BBC has reported that a recent survey suggests that adults in the UK are in favour of an increased number of grammar schools. The survey, carried out by the National Grammar Schools Association (NGSA) found that 76% of adults supported more grammar schools being built, and 70% were in favour of an expansion of academically selective schools.
The survey follows the conservatives recent announcement that they were no longer in support of more grammar schools – in contrast to the party’s traditional view. The Labour government and the Liberal Democrats have long been against opening more selective schools.
A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families made it clear that they don’t support academic selection, stating that grammar schools work very well for the minority of students who attend them, but very poorly for the majority of students who don’t.
Robert McCartney, chairman of the NGSA said that it was ‘unbelievable’ that none of the three major political parties in the UK were in favour of grammar schools, despite the perceived public opinion in light of the survey. He added that the government should offer want the public wants if they want votes. Of course, the survey was only of 1,015 adults, and the suggestion that government policies should meet with popular opinion in order to stay in power takes neither a long-term view of education, nor does it have any ethical foundation.