I wrote some time ago about Alan Johnson’s harebrained scheme to allocate school places by picking names out of a hat. Today brings news that Labour-run Brighton and Hove council has chosen to implement this mad idea.
What the Government and this misguided council must realise is that the problem they are trying to address is entirely of the Government’s own making. This Government has gone out of its way to block access to good schools for clever, poor pupils. The abolition of the Assisted Places Scheme, the policy of open hostility to grammar schools, and the abolition of grant-maintained schools (which, incidentally, the Government is trying to reverse), are clear examples.
The answer to the problem is not to resort to random methods of allocating places. Rather, this is what the Government should do: sit at a table with all the education measures it has passed since 1997, and begin to reverse all the harmful changes it has made. Not sure where to start? Then hit the streets and start listening to parents for once. It is time to give substance to all that empty talk about ‘parental choice’.
In the meantime, concerned parents in Brighton and Hove are not taking the schools allocation lottery lying down. They are heading to court to challenge the council. Here’s wishing them all the best
February 28th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
I think we will see the Brighton & Hove local authority turn Conservative this time around.
February 28th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Most definitely.
February 28th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Can this post somehow be formally and officially written somewhere and can we then append our signatures to it, before it is sent?
February 28th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
I went to a comprehensive school.
We turned up in the 2nd year and were promptly divided into four groups, entitled W, T, S and A, with three ’sets’ in each band.
In spite of the pretence of Egalitarianism, W band corresponded exactly to the old Grammar school.
The subjects offered at GCSE varied depending on what band you were in. We still learned Latin, the other bands didn’t for example.
For some subjects different bands even sat different papers for GCSE. Being appointed a prefect as well, was pretty much I case of what band you were in. I was on report most of the fourth year and they still gave me the prefect’s tie.
Schools still segregate within, so it goes to show what a dead letter the comprehensive ideal is.
March 1st, 2007 at 1:45 pm
B&H..pure madness. As you put so well Bel, they wreck the schools then blame the parents.
Tell me, who is it that votes for Labour?
March 1st, 2007 at 9:11 pm
Who votes for labour? Everybody who has vested interests in pigging at the great public sector trough, whether welfare dependency or lucrative consultancy contracts.
Well made points Bel, I totally agree.
Joe, my comprehensive education was just like yours and a Deputy head I know assures me her school is still the same.
March 5th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
I don’t know what the answer is…All I know is that I have had the dubious honour of sitting in on a school appeal. It must feel humilating to both the child and the parent, present your case as to why te child should have the honour of going to a school near where he lives. The tapdancing and downright begging makes you want to weep for the poor bastards.
And the worst part, the sanctimonous idgets on the board; “ooh, I think little johnny would fit right in, but little Abdul? I’m thinking he’s not quite right”
You know I am not PC, but I swear that is what happens.
Then the kid gets rejected (not good enough is the clear message) and sorry son, you get to travel on london transport from Haringey to Brixton to school every day. Like that’s sustainable! And this is a Labour government for you!
The system is a complete shower and PPI / PPP whatever has done nothing to alleviate.
March 5th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
In my humble unlearned opinion, the appeal of the lottery system has a good chance. Surely it is Wednesbury unreasonable to allocate education by way of lottery!
March 5th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Kris, like you, I have a good feeling that this appeal should succeed.
My question is; why is it sensible to allocate places by lottery, but not by setting a simple entrance exam?
March 27th, 2007 at 9:45 am
[…] On the other hand, a local education authority may decide, with Government approval, to allocate school places by precisely that […]
January 9th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
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