Give An Argument For And Against Grammar Schools

A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally schools teaching classical languages but more recently academically-oriented types of secondary school. Grammar schools became the selective tier of the Tripartite System of state-funded secondary education operating in England and Wales from the mid-1940s to the late 1960s and continuing in Northern Ireland.




With the move to non-selective comprehensive schools in the 1960s and 1970s, some grammar schools became fully independent and charged fees, while most others were abolished or became comprehensive. In both cases, many of these schools kept "grammar school" in their names. Some parts of England retain forms of the Tripartite System, and there are also a few surviving grammar schools in otherwise comprehensive areas.


In today's society 7% of students are in Grammar schools, and this rises post 16 (mainly with males and not as much with females). This is still quite a high percentage seen as the Labour party promised to abolish the Tripartite System completely. Grammar Schools are living proof that this system is still been used and that you can essentionally buy your way into a good education. This is very unfair on the working class as just because they are born into a certain class doesn't mean they shouldn't have the same chance as someone born into a middle class family.



When Tony Blair came into power he promised that they'd reduce inequality among society, and yet if anything they have just helped promote it. Whitty (2006) explains that "Labour contradict themselves regularly, for example they bring in EMA to struggling children and yet are charging these same students to get into University". So this means that many working class students will not be able to get into University, whereas middle class students are much more likely to be able to afford it. Marxists believe that this is a way of maintaining divisions in society.


On the other hand, Grammar Schools are extremely useful in the world. For example the majority of students who leave Grammar Schools (such as Harrow or Winchester) carry on to become Politicians or part of the Armed/Civil Services. This therefore means that if Grammar Schools had been abolished that Politicians would not have the same level of intelligence as they do now. At the moment not making working class citizens get into Politics, and if Grammar Schools were taken away then the middle class and working class would mix.



Also the children who go there normally come from quite wealthy families. This is backed up by The New Right who believe that parents have the right to spend their money when and where they like and that it's part of their rights and they also believe that Grammar Schools exist because of the free market. Labour backs this up with the ‘power to the parents’ scheme, and believe that if a family can financially support their child going into Grammar School then it's their right as to whether he/she does or not.


In conclusion, although Grammar Schools do indivertibly promote class inequalities they do produce very important people who this country need. Due to this I believe that the Tripartite System will still be used for a while whether it's intentional or not and that as long as there are parents who are willing to pay excessive fee’s for their child's education, there will be Grammar Schools happy to let them.