Yesterday in Parliament Justine Greening presented the new plans to create a 21^st century school system that works for everyone.

Ms Greening said since 2010 1.4 million more children are in good or outstanding schools and her intention is to build on this progress by increasing the number of good school places and making sure there is a school system that "works for everyone, not just the privileged few." It would help families who could not afford to buy houses in the catchment areas of good schools. In her statement, Ms Greening said the Government would 'look again at selective schools' but vowed there would be no return to a 'binary' education system. The proposals would create a 'truly meritocratic' system. However Labour are opposed to the new plans claiming it would in fact create the opposite and instead produce more segregation.

"Segregation, Segregation, Segregation!"
Disapproving Labour's shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said “If I may I would like to start by offering some advice to the Government - stop your silly class war.” Her words were met with loud jeers from Conservative MPs, but Ms Rayner revealed she was quoting David Cameron who had used the phrase while speaking out against expanding grammars. “He was the future once, but this Prime Minister wants to hark back to the past.” “Where once under Labour we had 'education, education, education' this Government's mantra is segregation, segregation, segregation.” Ms Rayner asked the education secretary to explain who would decide which non-selective schools should be able to convert to become selective. Ms Greening said: "We want to look again at selective schools and how they can open up excellent places to more children - particularly the most disadvantaged.” "We will therefore look at how we can relax the rules on expanding selective schools, allow new ones to open and non-selective schools to become selective where there is a demand." 

“Ms Hypocrite”
Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan spoke out against the plans on her Facebook page. “The prime minister is absolutely right to place creating a more meritocratic society at the heart of her agenda for government… However, I believe that an increase in pupil segregation on the basis of academic selection would be at best a distraction from crucial reforms to raise standards and narrow the attainment gap and at worse risk actively undermining six years of progressive education reform,”. “The evidence is now incontrovertibly clear that a rigorous academic education does not need to be the preserve of the few.” MS Morgan the first high-profile Conservative MP to speak out is urging both Theresa May and Justine Greening not to push ahead with the grammar plans. 

However, Tory backbenchers were quick to point out that last year she trumpeted the fact she was allowing an existing grammar in Sevenoaks, Kent, to expand to a new site. One MP said "she went to a selective private school, talked about sending her children to private school, and when she thought it might help her become PM she supported a grammar in Kent. She used to be Ms U-turn. Now we call her Ms Hypocrite." Ms Morgan said “Instead of pursuing greater selection, I would urge the government to build on the reforms of the last Government and to reaffirm the focus outlined in the Educational Excellence Everywhere White Paper on tackling areas of entrenched academic underperformance." Ms Morgan's own flagship education policy - forcing all schools to become academies - was sunk this year by a backbench rebellion by Conservative MPs. But another former education secretary, Michael Gove, gave his backing to the plans, however he is expected to welcome the expansion of grammar schools.

What the education proposal includes

Selective School

• £50m will be set up by the government to help existing grammar schools expand

• Allow new selective schools, which would have to be set up in response to local demand. They would have flexibility to select 100 per cent of their intake on the basis of ability

• Selective schools can expand on the explicit condition they provide support to ensure “good quality non-selective places locally”. These conditions include:

-Taking a share of pupils from lower-income backgrounds

-Setting up a new non-selective secondary or primary school

-Backing an underperforming academy

-Engage in outreach activity, including teacher and pupil exchanges with local schools

-All state schools in England will be allowed to select pupils by academic ability "in the right circumstances" and where there is demand

-Selective schools could be stripped of access to additional funding, remove their right to select by ability or be stopped from further expansion if the school does not deliver good or outstanding education alongside their new education places

• All state schools in England will be allowed to select pupils by academic ability "in the right circumstances" and where there is demand

  Universities

• Universities will be required to sponsor a state school or set up a new free school if they want to charge higher tuition fees

  Independent schools

• Independent schools will have to play a bigger part in supporting state schools or sponsoring free schools, in return for maintaining their charitable status. They should either:

-Sponsor academies or set up a new free school in the state sector, or, offer a proportion of places as fully-funded bursaries to those who are not wealthy enough to pay the fees

  Faith schools

• The rules for faith groups opening free schools will no longer mean that they can only allocate 50% of places to people within their own faith community - they can give all places on grounds of faith. They must meet the following conditions:

-Prove that parents of other faiths would be happy to send their children to the school

-Establish twinning arrangements for other schools not of their faith

-Consider setting up mixed-faith mutli-academy trusts and placing an independent member or director of different faith or no faith on the governing body

Education Secretary Justine Greening said: “This government is making the case for social reform to build a true meritocracy in Britain, and education lies at the heart of that ambition. The proposals I have published today build on the government’s successful reforms to our education system. We want to make more good school places available in more areas, ensuring we give every child an excellent education and the opportunity to fulfil their potential. I would urge everyone to look at the detail in the consultation."