Clause36
Education and Inspections Bill
11:15 am
John Hayes (Shadow Minister (Vocational Education), Education; South Holland and The Deepings, Conservative)
As I said in my hon. Friend’s absence during our last meeting, he is an outrider, but I am firmly rooted in the cavalcade—the limousine—that he and my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Bedfordshire (Mrs. Dorries) are flanking. I understand that our party, our shadow Secretary of State and our leader want to focus on the schools that most people go to.
My hon. Friend might be right, but the problem with his position is that for too long, Conservatives have been caricatured as interested only in the most able children—the children most likely to go to grammar schools. I am interested in all this country’s children. This debate is our first opportunity during the progress of the Bill to speak about selection in such terms. It is certainly the first time that we have talked about grammar schools. We have spoken about every imaginable subject affecting children’s progress, and in doing so have shown our determination that all children should get the very best education. For the vast bulk of children, that will not mean going to a grammar school.