Claim that Kent County Council allowed eleven-plus pass figure to rise deliberately
Comments |
by political
editor Paul Francis
A row has broken out over the claim that more children passed
the eleven-plus exam last year as a deliberate ploy by
Kent County Council.
That claim has come from County Hall’s opposition Liberal
Democrats who said KCC had deliberately allowed the percentage of
pupils passing the Kent Test to rise to 28 per cent last year
instead of the 25 per cent normally permitted.
But the ruling Conservative administration has flatly denied the
charge and says the figure was wrong.
In a statement, Cllr Sarah Hohler (Con), KCC cabinet member for
education, said:"By the end of the process last year 26.5 per cent
of children were assessed as suitable for grammar school.
"This year the number stands at 26.4 per cent. As the size of
year groups changes and as parental preferences change the
balancing of grammar places to meet demand will also change from
year to year."
With about 16,000 children going to secondary school, a one per
cent increase in those going to grammars is the equivalent of about
160 additional pupils.
Cllr Hohler said the council’s policy of identifying the top 25
per cent of pupils based on ability had not changed.
About 20 per cent of places are allocated on the basis of
whether pupils had passed the 11-plus but that figure increases
after headteacher assessment appeals.
KCC recently signalled its desire to increase the number of
grammar places available at some of its heavily over-subscribed and
most popular schools in west Kent. These come under additional
pressure because of applications from children outside the
county.
Council leader Paul Carter said he was examining whether places
that were unfilled in other parts of the county could be
"re-allocated."
But Cllr Trudy Dean (Lib Dem) said KCC could not
complain about lack of places when it was responsible for creating
additional demand for them in some areas.
"It’s a bit rich to complain of overcrowding if they
deliberately fixed a pass mark which had exactly that effect.
"We already have more schools which fail to reach Government
standards than any other county because of our selective system.
The more children who are sent to grammar schools, the more
difficult it is for the rest of the schools, which three out of
four children attend, to deliver a high standard of education."
Friday, December 04 2009
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