Throughout yesterday one of the news threads on the radio and TV stemmed from a statement by Michael Wilshaw, Chief Inspector of Schools at OFSTED, suggesting that Grammar Schools are simply cheap public Schools whose selection is largely determined by the extent to which parents can afford to prepare their children for the 11+ exam. This view was being countered by two political big hitters, Nigel Farage in the Purple Corner and David Davis in the Blue Corner. Both men believe we need to create more Grammar Schools. In the case of David Davis who did attend a Grammar School, he appeared to be suggesting that these Schools are the only way in which people like him could make it to the top of Government, Business, Education, Public Sector and presumably the Church. On the other hand Nigel Farage attended the private Dulwich College but his argument was similarly related to the perceived success of the Grammar System. There is little doubt that the Grammar system enabled some to gain social empowerment, but was that sufficient?

I passed the 11+ in the dying months of 1970 and so was eligible to attend a Grammar School, which I did for 12 months whilst the then Labour Government was converting the education system to Comprehensive Schools. This change impacted most parts of the country with only a few County areas that managed to resist the decision. My limited experience taught me that Grammar Schools offer only one element or benefit that cannot be found through a Comprehensive System. That was in terms of a mock public School culture which was created. We had a house system with different School ties, and there was an old boys organisation (it still exists) which one could imagine would be a helpful way of networking with ex pupils in the years above (and in theory below) the year one attended. I am afraid I never took advantage of this networking opportunity, but have since discovered many others that are open to all, irrespective of educational advantage or the depth of ones parents pockets. The only problem for people who want a career in Politics, is that most of these networks exclude Politicians, primarily to avoid any danger of being seen to provide the very furtherance that the Public School and Top University PPE courses appear to provide.

My problem with the words from David Davis is not just because his argument is weak. It would take 1-2 decades to create enough Grammar Schools to impact the nation, and then another one to see a feed through into the upper echelons of public life, but rather that his own experience is at odds with the case he is making. According to his Wikipedia entry David: “on leaving  Bec Grammar School in Tooting, his A Level results were not good enough to secure a university place. Davis worked as an insurance clerk and became a member of the Territorial Army…” From this base he earned enough money to resit his A Levels and then on into University but his Political Career became possible as a result of Business, not through his Secondary Education.

No one would suggest that David Davis or Nigel Farage would ever reach the highest office now, but both men could make it easier for others who like them did not go to the right Public School or University to do so. They can begin to argue for something that would make a difference to people currently at University or on their way. We need these bruisers and many others to knock down the barriers to selection by people who are of the wrong gender, race or education in each of the main parties, to Business, the Church, the Public Sector. A Grammar School is simply dealing with the problem of an old School Tie, right University, right Club form of selection by imitating it. What we need are people willing to admit that the School Tie needs cutting up and the system needs crushing, and in doing so we will challenge the credibility of certain Schools and certain Universities as the best source of candidates. That will create lots of enemies, whose lives are built on the status quo. However David and Nigel have the capacity to begin that fight, but it won’t give them the column inches that their current arguments have achieved.