Political Schooling

The grammar school row engulfing the Tory party outs a green politician – green n the gills. The first lesson most learn in politics is not to unnecessarily pick a fight with your own, something that Cameron has time and again failed to learn. Be it the botched pullout from the European Peoples Party ignoring the Tory grass roots over taxes, and now, by failing to keep his spokespeople on message, Grammar schools.

We don’t know what caused him to have such an absence of judgement, he clearly didn’t consult his front bench, or his party, but dragging out a row for 3 weeks doesn’t show the Tory party is changing, its showing it’s split.

The Tories are not led by a tory, and in the aftermath of an unpopular labour leader who was in name, but not of, the labour tradition, the British Public really have had enough of such cynical re-branding for re-brandings sake and by the looks of it, so have the conservative grass roots.

I believe that our education policy should be based on improving equality of opportunity for all, but I recognise that academic selection can be a useful tool in helping to propel the most promising, regardless of social background, or indeed age. Deciding a Childs future at an arbitrary and unscientific age as the 11+ did remains wrong, giving children the right emphasis for their individual needs should, in my opinion, be where we should be moving toward; either way it is clear that Cameron needs to head back to school.

Martin Shapland