Executive Councillor for Education Dean Fitzpatrick, who will propose a motion at the Council Meeting on 27th October, said ‘Labour is ensuring that every child gets the excellent education which they deserve, and record A-Level and GCSE results of local schools during 2015-16 are something pupils, teachers and parents across Stockport should be proud of.
‘Grammar schools, by contrast, do nothing to improve overall standards and the independent Education Policy Institute has warned that the Government’s proposals could widen the attainment gap between rich and poor pupils.
‘There should be no turning back the clock to an outdated and discredited system – young people have varied and complex aptitudes and abilities, and they should be given equal opportunities in a system which respects the fact that they develop at different rates.’
In September the OECD’s Head of Education has said that grammar schools benefit wealthy families without raising overall educational attainment, with ‘a one-off test likely to favour social background over true academic potential’.
Councillor Fitzpatrick added ‘Grammar schools reinforce inequality and serve to boost the chances of already high-achieving pupils whilst doing nothing to improve overall levels of social mobility.
‘Labour is opposing any attempt by the Government to expand grammar schools by the backdoor by exploiting loopholes in existing legislation.
‘I firmly believe that the majority of people in Stockport want education not segregation – a good local school for all, not unfair and divisive plans to pit children against one another.’
Stockport currently has no publicly funded grammar schools.