School crisis 'down to the government'

THE man with overall responsibility for education has said everything is being done to find grammar school places for children left bitterly disappointed by the selection process.

In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle, Cllr Paul Carter, the leader of Kent County Council, blamed the current crisis on the government for preventing a grammar school being built in Sevenoaks.

And he said the council was powerless to force grammar schools to scrap their existing internal selection criteria, which allows them to cherry pick the brightest pupils regardless of where they come from.

This year's nightmare has seen 114 Kent pupils left without a grammar school place despite passing the 11-plus.

The full extent of how many are from Sevenoaks is still to be made public, but last year's figures showed just 48 per cent of the district's youngsters were offered a place at their first choice.

In Tunbridge Wells the figure was 72 per cent, in Tonbridge 63 per cent and county-wide 66 per cent.

Cllr Carter said: "I hope it's improved slightly.

"If we were allowed to do what we'd like to do we would build more grammar school places in West Kent. The solution would be to build a grammar school in Sevenoaks."

Rules

Government non-discrimination rules have also seen 532 pupils from outside Kent being offered a precious grammar place.

Cllr Carter said the council are can only put some gentle pressure on grammar schools to choose children from the county ahead of those from outside of Kent.

But despite funding them, he claimed the council could not force schools to do it.

"They do get their funding from us but they are their own admissions authority because they're ex-grant maintained schools," he said.

"We're governed by the admissions regulations set by national government. We can't break the law."

Parents and teachers alike have criticised the system for putting undue stress on children.

Last week we reported on Jade O'Rourke, of Main Road in Sundridge, who could only be offered a place at the comprehensive Skinners' Kent Academy in Tunbridge Wells, despite passing the 11-plus.

Jade's mother Lisa said: "This political row about Labour not letting them have grammar schools and the Conservatives not bowing on the grammar system is disgusting.

"It's almost childish and our children are the victims of that."

Jade now faces a lengthy appeal process, which could take several months to be resolved.

Places not taken up at grammar schools in the east of the county are in the process of being transferred to West Kent to help solve the problem.

Cllr Carter said this could only be done after the appeals process had kicked in.

Competition for grammar schools is so fierce parents are paying for extra tuition to get their children through the exam, a situation that could disadvantage poorer families.

"We need to continue to try and change the test in significant ways that don't benefit those who have been coached (out of school hours)," said Cllr Carter.

"We're using every available tool to make sure it's the fairest system possible and allow people who pass the 11-plus into a good local grammar school."