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A few months ago I was invited to sit on a panel to debate a then hot topic – whether or not, following Theresa May and her cabinet’s proposed legislation, grammar schools should either be extended into other parts of the country or be scrapped altogether. This debate was taken place within the confines of a grammar school, and so the audience was mostly made up of those who had attended grammar school since year 7. I was in a different position - I had gone to a local comprehensive from years 7 to 11 having failed my 11 plus. I then transitioned into grammar school for sixth form after doing well enough in my GCSEs to do so. So I was able to see from both sides.

Needless to say this debate soon turned into a propaganda exercise for the avocation of grammar schools. A Guardian journalist sat on the panel (which, incidentally, was full of pro-grammar school students and teachers, with me being the exception), and it was clear to see that people were eager to rattle off their own anecdotes about how great their education was at a grammar school, where like-minded individuals could thrive. Even people in the audience who had come from a similar situation as me were full of praise for their grammar school education and contemptuous at their comprehensive. The head teacher also sat on the panel and liked to point out that the invitation had been extended to non-grammar school students, but, after an absent show of hands, it was clear to see that none of them had turned up, which elicited laughs from the audience. This, apparently, was indicative of the disparity between grammar school children who love debate and non-grammar children whose educational lives do not extend so far. But to me this was merely reflective of how intimidating a grammar school environment can be to those who do not attend it.

After this my head teacher went on to lambast the ‘hypocrisy’ of Labour politicians who, though opposing May’s policy, ‘still sent their kids to grammar schools’ – huge round of applause. Though I myself found it unnerving that people expected their representatives to not only neglect what was best for their children and instead use them as a pawn in their political game. Not only that but it was odd to hear such words, which reeked of refusing children autonomous decisions, coming out the mouth of a head teacher.

The fact is, no one is disputing whether grammar schools are good schools or not. There’s no need to glamorise them up more than what they already are. The notion is simple – if you concentrate the ‘brightest’ children from an area into a few select schools, then them schools will undoubtedly do well. So the argument against grammar schools is not whether they perform well or not, it’s whether this performance justifies the wider implications of having grammar schools in place – namely social division and inequality.

Image credits: tes.com