Hands up if you think Dave's a dunce

May 24 2007

WHO'S wearing the Dunce's cap this week?

None other than Conservative leader David Cameron, for his refusal to sanction any new grammar schools if he becomes Prime Minister.

Why not? These days our academic establishments come in more shades and colours than a Dulux wallchart.

They can specialise in sport, the performing arts, or languages. There are specialist teachers for kids with learning difficulties and dedicated units for disruptive pupils, not to mention those new-fangled city technology colleges.

In this world of mushrooming educational choice, it seems there's just one group of children we aren't allowed to cater for. The clever ones.

Instead our budding brainboxes are forced into massive comprehensives that are totally unsuitable for their needs.

The Tories more than anyone should heed the lessons of the market-place - and this would tell them that the few grammars we have in this city are massively over-subscribed.

For good reasons, too. They give intelligent youngsters from all backgrounds the kind of academic environment they can thrive in.

Call it hothousing if you like, but going to a school where you don't get beaten up because you can string three words together sounds like a great idea to me.

There again what does Cameron know about state education? Like most of his Tory pals, he was educated at Eton.