§ 11. Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy towards local education authority proposals for the reintroduction of grammar schools.
§ Dr. BoysonWe believe that the elected local education authority is best placed to form a view about what form of secondary education suits local needs and parental wishes. It is free to publish proposals to reintroduce grammar schools, and such proposals would be considered on their individual merits by my right hon. Friend as they came to him.
§ Sir John Biggs-DavisonDoes not the respect of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for local and parental choice contrast with the bigoted denial of such choice by the right hon. Member for Crosby (Mrs. Williams) when she was part of a Socialist Administration? Do not falling school rolls argue the necessity for schools to provide for special needs and for gifted children, who are sometimes neglected in the comprehensive system?
§ Dr. BoysonOne of this Government's first steps was to repeal the Labour Government's Act, which compelled all local authorities to go comprehensive, thereby respecting the fact that local authorities know what is best for their area. There is a great difference of view on this issue between us and the Opposition. Children with special needs—whether they have more or less ability than the average—may in some instances need to go to special schools. That is why we introduced the assisted places scheme. Nearly 10,000 children—two thirds of them from families with below average incomes — are receiving superb education in schools with excellent sixth forms.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsIs the Minister aware that grammar schools imply secondary modern schools and that very few parents would choose to send their children to secondary modern schools? Will the hon. Gentleman therefore stop using the term "parental choice", as it is meaningless to four fifths of parents in this country?
§ Dr. BoysonThe hon. Lady's question is amazing for an ex-Minister who took away parental choice in many areas of the country. We have always favoured a parental choice over the school—
§ Mr. Christopher PriceWhat about Croxteth comprehensive?
§ Dr. BoysonIf the hon. Gentleman keeps quiet for a minute I shall give him an answer that might shock him. That school closed because the exercise of parental choice meant that most of the children had gone elsewhere. That decision was based on parental choice. I shall send the hon. Gentleman the figures, and if he is numerate he will understand them.
§ Mr. KinnockDoes not the Under-Secretary —[Interruption.] I should like to convey the driver's apology for the lateness of my train. I apologise for that. Does the hon. Gentleman not yet understand that by using a selective secondary schooling system he is bound — whatever it may do for the wishes of a minority—to diminish the choice and rights of the majority? If the Under-Secretary of State is in favour of local authorities 722 taking decisions why did he set aside Dorset local education authority's proposition to abolish two grammar schools?
§ Dr. BoysonThe number of Labour Members who come to me with requests that local authority decisions should not be carried through shows that the hon. Gentleman's view is in a minority in his party. We have decreased parental choice by establishing, not comprehensive, but neighbourhood schools. The percentage of working-class children going to university has fallen since the move to comprehensive schools and that shows what the Labour Government did to the country.