WITH THANKS TO THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER 8TH 0F SEPT 2016
EXTRACTS OF A REPORT BY : ANUSHKA ASTHANA
SOCIAL MOBILITY TSAR WARNS OF `US AND THEM` `DIVIDE .
MORE SELECTION WOULD EXACERBATE PROBLEMS , HE SAYS .
CALL TO FOCUS ON TEACHERS AND PARENTS INSTEAD .
GRAMMAR SCHOOLS EXPANSION RISKS DISASTER ,MAY IS WARNED .
THE GOVERNMENT`S SOCIAL MOBILITY TSAR HAS WARNED THAT EXPANDING THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL SYSTEM WOULD BE A DISASTER ,A DAY AFTER IT EMERGED THAT THERESA MAY WAS CONCIDERING THE IDEA .
ALAN MILBURN ,THE FORMER LABOUR CABINET MINISTER WHO CHAIRS THE GOVERNMENT`S SOCIAL MOBILITY COMMISSION ,SAID ENDING THE BAN ON BUILDING NEW SELECTIVE SCHOOLS RISKED CREATING AN “US AND THEM DIVIDE ” WITHIN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM .
HE SAID THAT PUPILS AT ENGLAND`S REMAINING 163 SELECTIVE STATE SCHOOLS WERE FOUR OR FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE COME FROM INDEPENDENT PREP SCHOOLS THAN FROM THE DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS .
“THIS IS NOT SELECTION EDUCATIONALLY ,IT IS SELECTION SOCIALLY .IF (MORE OF ) THAT IS WHAT IS BEING TALKED ABOUT ,IT WILL NOT PROVIDE A SOCIAL MOBILITY DIVIDEND ,IT WILL BE A SOCIAL MOBILITY DISASTER “. SAID MILBURN .
ON TUESDAY AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT INDICATING THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS PLANNING TO END THE MORATORIUM WAS PHOTOGRAPHED IN THE HANDS OF A CIVIL SERVANT OUTSIDE DOWNING STREET .
MILBURNS COMMENTS CAME DURING A WIDE – RANGING INTERVIEW WITH THE GUARDIAN IN WHICH HE CALLED ON MAY TO TAKE URGENT ACTION TO CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN THE WEALTHIEST AND THE POOREST ,AND WARNED OF AN OVERWHELMING AND “FESTERING SENSE OF SOCIAL RESENTMENT “ACROSS BRITAIN .
“THE HISTORY OF OUR CONTINENT TELLS US WHEN A MAJORITY FEEL THEIR AMBITIONS BEING THWARTED AND THAT A MINORITY ARE FORGING AHEAD ,THINGS CAN TURN NASTY “,HE SAID ARGUING THAT THE SCALE OF THE BREXIT VOTE UNDERLINED THE CHALLENGE .MILBURN POINTED OUT THAT OF THE 65 AREAS OF THE COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTED BY HIS COMMISSION AS THE WORST FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS ,ONLY THREE VOTED TO REMAIN .
STOP PRESS ………..STOP PRESS …………..STOP PRESS………….SEPTEMBER 9TH 2016
FRONT COVER OF THE i NEWSPAPER :TEACHERS VOW TO BATTLE GRAMMAR SCHOOLS …….MAY GIVES GREEN LIGHT FOR MORE SELECTIVE EDUCATION ,OVERTURNING 19-YEAR-OLD BAN …………..OPPOSITION PARTIES AND TEACHING UNIONS DETERMINED TO FIGHT REGRESSIVE MOVE .