Walsall Council confirmed its opposition to Government stealth plans to expand grammar schools.

The move came at a meeting last night of the council meeting in full session when it debated a notice of motion introduced by Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Ian Shires which was seconded by the Leader of the Council Labour Group Leader Cllr Sean Coughlan.

Speaking to the motion Cllr Shires said:

The Westminster Government has dropped its planned education bill in England in spite of the fact that it was included in the Queen’s speech.

The “education for all” bill was introduced by George Osborne in his March Budget and was quietly ditched towards the end of October in a written statement by education secretary Justine Greening.

In itself Greening’s statement could be said to have nothing to do with Grammar Schools at least not directly any way. To all intent and purpose the statement means that the current “Schools that work for everyone” consultation remains on track. This includes selective places for local areas that want them.

The consultation on selection is open till late November with a white paper to come along in the new year thus clearing the decks for the Government to press on with amongst other things grammar schools which is why we have brought this notice of motion before you tonight.

If you believe in social mobility as I do, then you will understand why it is wrong to make an arbitrary decision when a child reaches the age of 11. A decision based on unreliable assessments and unfair procedures to segregate them, opening doors to those that pass the 11+ whilst placing more obstructions in the paths of those that fail. Their fate is sealed at a very young age.

Children in selective systems who do not go to grammar schools do not make the progress of their counterparts in a non-selective comprehensive system and there is little correlation between test performance at 11 and later achievement. Only 3% of children in grammar schools come from a disadvantaged background compared to 19% in other schools dividing children at age 11 into just two types is crude in the extreme.

The Head of Ofsted Sir Michael Wilshaw has spoken out against grammar schools. Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show in October he said that if you have grammar schools you take away the most able children from the all-ability comprehensive system. Speaking as a former Head of a successful inner-city comprehensive he added that he needed those top 20% to left the others up.

If we really want to improve peoples’ life opportunities, we need to look beyond our schools. The differences in school performances has a lot to do with what goes on outside school. So if the Westminster Government really wants to change things for the good then they should abandon the quest for selection to grammar schools and concentrate on resourcing local services so they can all work in partnership with our schools; improve early years and above all ensure good quality well-supported teachers.

On being put to the vote the motion was carried 28 votes for and 27 votes against.