Lifting ban on new grammar schools could help level up education for poorer areas, MP says
- Former teacher Jonathan Gullis has launched a campaign to scrap grammar ban
- Almost half of grammar schools are in the UK are in the London and South East
- Red Wall MP says it would end ‘geographic sweepstake’ in education equality
Removing a ban on creating new grammar schools would end the ‘geographic sweepstake’ in education quality, a Red Wall Conservative MP has claimed.
Jonathan Gullis, a former teacher, has launched a campaign to scrap the ban so that poorer areas can benefit.
There are no grammars in the North East and almost half of the 163 in the UK are in London and the South East.
Mr Gullis, the MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, said: ‘We can level up the country by offering students in the most deprived constituencies the same choice in education as the least deprived.’
The ban was brought in by Tony Blair in 1998. It is understood that most Tory MPs want to scrap it. But the Department for Education said there were no such plans.
Removing a ban on creating new grammar schools would end the ‘georgraphic sweepstake’ in education quality, Red Wall Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis (pictured), a former teacher, has claimed
Mr Gullis added: ‘Education is currently the very definition of a postcode lottery. Protecting existing grammar schools without creating new ones is reinforcing this.
‘We cannot and must not continue with this geographic sweepstake approach to education. Pupils should be able to stay local and to go far, to coin a phrase.’
Last night, a supporter of the campaign, Sir Graham Brady, told the Mail: ‘Grammar schools have been a tremendous driver of social mobility and their abolition across most of the country has removed opportunity from many people.
‘I strongly support Jonathan Gullis’ campaign to reopen those opportunities, especially in the less affluent parts of the country.
‘After 12 years of Conservative-led government, it is absurd we still have Labour’s law and I hope the government will move to remove that senseless piece of legislation as soon as possible.’
Mr Gullis’ campaign argues that wealthy areas of the country have a ‘monopoly’ on grammar schools, meaning poorer areas of the UK cannot reap their benefits.
In February the government identified 55 Education Investment Areas to raise school standards. Mr Gullis said there was a unique opportunity to ‘end this education podcode lottery’ in the target regions.
Boris Johnson has historically voiced support for grammars, saying in 2014 that the ‘decision to get rid of them was a real tragedy for this country.’
When asked about reviving Mrs May’s plans in March, Mr Zahawi said: ‘Their ethos is fantastic, their DNA I want to spread in the system.
‘We will continue to make sure whether it’s grammar schools or Church of England or Catholic schools, they feel they can join the journey and they feel they can be part of that journey and protected as well.’ He also told the Commons in March that he wants ‘to spread the DNA of grammar schools across the system.’