The Chairman reported receipt
of the above mentioned motion from Councillors Jon Hubbard and
Steve
Oldrieve. Accordingly,
Councillor Jon Hubbard
moved the following motion which was duly seconded by Councillor
Steve
Oldrieve:
“The
Conservative Government in Westminster have issued a Green Paper
suggesting that every school could convert to a Grammar School,
reintroducing selective education for children across the county of
Wiltshire.
Sir
Michael Wilshaw*, the head of Ofsted, has described the expansion
of Grammar Schools as a “retrograde step” and this view
has been echoed by educationalists from across the
country.
Currently in Wiltshire there are 2 Grammar Schools, both in
Salisbury where there are 5 other state schools offering secondary
education. No other community in Wiltshire enjoys having so many
comprehensive schools in such a small geographical area.
Council notes:
- Should one, or more, of Wiltshire’s market town schools,
which is served by just one secondary school, convert to a grammar
school then this would leave many children without a local school
to attend
- Even Free School founder and right ring columnist Toby Young has
publically stated that introducing new grammar schools with do
nothing to help boost social mobility
Council believes:
- That should rural comprehensive schools in Wiltshire be
converted to grammar schools it would disadvantage
Wiltshire’s children, with many being forced to travel
significant additional distance to schools each day
- That there is a considerable risk to the county’s budget,
should the council have to fund passenger transport for young
people to schools other than those local to them as a result of not
passing the 11 plus
- That dividing young people at the age of 11, based on their
individual performance during a 145-minute one-off exam, is a
retrograde step which will end up in the majority of young people
be left feeling they are failures
- That former Prime Minister David Cameron was correct to say
“I think it is delusional to think that a policy of expanding
a number of grammar schools is either a good idea, a sellable idea
or even the right idea.”
Council calls for:
- A statement to be issued by Wiltshire Council stating:
“This Council does not support the further expansion of
grammar schools in Wiltshire”
- The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services to lobby all
parliamentarians in Wiltshire to do all in their power to prevent
existing comprehensive schools being converted to grammar
schools
- The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services to write to the
Secretary of State stating that Wiltshire Council does not believe
that the conversion of comprehensive schools to grammar schools in
rural communities is in the best interests of all
young people”
Following agreement to
debate the motion, the Chairman invited Councillor Hubbard to speak
to his motion.
In response to the
motion, Councillor Laura Mayes, as the relevant Cabinet member,
commended the motion as comprehensive and well researched, but that
she could not recommend support for the motion due to the need to
consult further with partners and those affected, before writing to
MPs and the Secretary of State to put the views of the Council and
the people of Wiltshire in response to the Green Paper.
Following a debate,
where the merits of the motion were discussed, the motion was put
to the vote, and the Council;
Resolved
That
motion No. 35 be NOT adopted.