I completely agree and ironically the only reason I am swayed by such an argument is because our highest court is the European Court and we have no say in it, but thats me bringing the debate around to Europe and not Nigel Farage.
Being in my mid 20s, I actually have no idea what a Grammar school is. If someone could give me a quick overview I would most appreciate it.
However, if you are talking about two-tiered schooling I am in favour. The simple fact is that we have that right now, it's just everything is called a GCSE. Almost all GCSEs are split in to foundation tier and higher tier papers, in which foundation tier you can only achieve a C at best. Speaking to my friends who are teachers, it is very rare that a pupil will be moved up from foundation to higher classes during the year. I see no reason not to formalise it more.
When it comes to Grammar schools though, doesn't that involve streaming students as young as 11? I feel that would be too young.
On the topic of schools, someone bought up something that intrigued me the other day. What is the justification for separating students by age? Why can't we blur the lines of year groups and allow more talented students from lower years to take certain classes with older pupils to push them harder. I have no idea if it would work in practice, but it's got me thinking.
No. There is no streaming at age 11.
However, it would probably mean the re-introduction of the old 11+ exam (or similar) whereby a child achieving high marks in this would automatically be offered the chance to attend a Grammar school as opposed to the regular state school.
Example: My eldest lad (now 15) was of an exceptionally high grade diuring his last years of junior school. Infact he was achieving marks/grades rarely seen at that age, and had higher grades been available to be given, at least two subject teachers would have awarded them.
Now, we can not afford to send my boys to fee paying education, so we had to plump for the local secondary choices.
We attempted entry into the school in Crawley with the best overall exam grades for a number of years, but were refused as we fell outside the catchment area by 250 meters. (There are other issues at work here which are not for discussion in this thread).
Had the old 11+ exam been still in existence, he would no doubt have achieved a very high pass mark in this, and if we had grammar schools (which when around were considered the epitome of good learning with multiple opportunities to progress after, far more than even now) he would un-doubtedly have been granted a place.
Instead, he is at our catchment school just round the corner, and although still producing good results, I seriously doubt it is of the level we would have seen from Grammar education.
call it selective if you wish, but it would offer far more opportunities to those with the ability and desire to do well than maybe they are currently getting.
This is a strong UKIP policy, to return Grammar schools to every town in Britain.
As for your suggestion regarding not sticking to age seperation.......it already happens in specific subject classes. My boys have both studied in classes 1 year up as well as taken some exams early, but they are kept to their year group for all other activities.