Thursday, October 19, 2006
Labour to bring back Direct-Grant Schools
In an interview withthe Independent, Lord Adonis has apparently said that the government plans to "re-establish a modern version of the direct grant schools". For anyone wondering, the Direct-Grant system was abolished by Labour in the 1970s. Essentially, they were independent selective fee charging schools which received government grants in return for admitting poorer pupils. As a policy to encourage social mobility goes it is, in my opinion, a good one. The Unions hate it as well, so that means it must be good!
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5 comments:
With you all the way on that one :-)
in return for admitting poorer pupils.
Not true.
In return for admitting 25% intake based upon the results of a Selective Examiniation for pupi;s in State Schools......it was not Means-Tested but based purely on the results of the 11+ Exam
Yes and no. Yes there was an exam element, but the LEA also chose who got to go in many case which meant, at least tacitly, means testing. Arguably we're both wrong.
I wonder what spin will be put on this policy announcement? They certainly won't admit they were wrong to abolish the assisted places, whereby poor children who passed private school entrance examinations to sufficient standard were given a scholarship.
Labour denounced them as elitist and wasteful at the time of abolishment (1997), and TOny blair described them as "opt-out policies for a small minority at the expense of the rest"
These schemes allowed bright poor students to benefit from an excellent education, giving them the mobility that the state sector often denies.
I guess the moral of this story is that what goes around, comes around.
Yes there was an exam element, but the LEA also chose who got to go in many case which meant, at least tacitly, means testing. Arguably we're both wrong.
Well I never knew my place was chosen by the LEA nor did I realise I was poor...............thanks for filling in the gaps in my biography !
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