Theresa May is planning to launch a new generation of grammar schools by scrapping the ban on them imposed almost 20 years ago, as part of her social mobility agenda The Sunday Telegraph has learnt. Labour have accused her of taking an “incredibly backward step” if she reverses the ban.

The Prime Minister is facing backlash since The Sunday Telegraph reported Mrs May could announce a new wave of selective schools as early as the Conservative party conference in October. The move, which would reverse Tony Blair’s 1998 ban, marks a significant shift from her predecessor and is likely to be greeted warmly by the Tory grassroots who have long campaigned on the issue. David Cameron supported the ban during his time in office but Mrs May is ready to reverse the policy – a change that is believed to need a new law to passed.  

One of the first tasks given to the new education secretary Justine Greening, by Mrs May who herself attended a grammar school is to examine the change in policy. Ms Greening said she was “open-minded” about the possibility of allowing new grammar schools." Mrs May’s plans could face difficulty in the commons as she faces opposition from the Liberal Democrats and Labour who are united to condemn the change. Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader said: "The Liberal Democrats are the party of education and I am utterly opposed to any plan that will bring back grammar schools.” "I am prepared to work with people in all parties from modernising Tories to the opposition parties to stop this plan. The government's majority is so small - they need to see the danger signs.”

"I am committed to making sure this issue is Theresa May's first U-turn as Prime Minister. I will use everything at my disposal to stop this happening.” Angela Rayner, Labour’s shadow education secretary, said: "Selection belongs in the dustbin of history and has no place in modern society. There must be no going back."
“Rather than harking back to a mythical ‘golden age’ of grammar schools, the Tories must work tirelessly to improve every school in the country, to work with teachers to drive up standards, and to give our schools the investment they need in the 21st century,” she said. Former shadow education secretary Lucy Powell said: “All the evidence tells us that, far from giving working-class kids chances, [grammar schools] entrench advantage and have become the preserve of the privately tutored.” “If this is the new direction of Theresa May’s education policy, it’s a bad move and shows us, yet again, why we need a Labour government.”  

What are grammar schools and why all the controversy?

Grammar schools are selective state secondary schools that require pupils to pass an exam, known as the 11-plus. Under the old grammar school system, pupils who failed the exam were sent to the local secondary modern school. There are currently about 163 in England - out of some 3,000 state secondaries - and a further 69 in Northern Ireland. But under a law created by the Labour government in 1998, no new grammar schools are allowed to open in England. Education policy is devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The debate over grammar schools goes back to the 1950s and 1960s, when a number of reports found that the system was failing children from working class backgrounds. In 1954 the Gurney-Dixon report found that only a tiny proportion of the working class grammar school intake went on to university. In 1963, the Robbins report highlighted that while the working classes made up 26% of grammar school pupils, as little as 0.3% achieved two A-levels or more. Labour politicians argued that these reports proved that selective education only served to reinforce class division and hampered social mobility. More recently, a study by The Sutton Trust found that just 3% of students at grammar schools were eligible for free school meals.
This is an “important indicator of social deprivation” and the national average stood at 18% in 2013. The report confirmed that children from lower income backgrounds were less likely to gain entry to grammar schools, while that those from wealthier backgrounds could afford private tutoring for the 11-plus test. A government source has claimed grammar schools could be bought back to improve social mobility. "If you’re a really bright kid, you should have the opportunity to excel as far as your talents can take you,” the source told The Sunday Telegraph.” Following the report, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister has been clear that we need to build a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.” “Every child should be allowed to rise as far as their talents will take them and birth should never be a barrier. Policies on education will be set out in due course.”

The Campaign For Real Education praised Mrs May's decision, saying: “This country is becoming a basket case educationally and we are failing our children. We must teach youngsters in line with their ability.” The general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, Mary Bousted, said: "A government that is serious about social mobility would not allow the expansion of selective schools. "All children deserve to have a first-class education, not just those whose parents can afford the private tuition to help them pass the 11-plus."