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Concern over school places lottery
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Reading East MP Rob Wilson took the opportunity of Prime Minister’s Question Time in the House of Commons today to ask the Prime Minister whether he would put his own children through a lottery system to allocate them a school place.
The issue arose following a decision by Brighton and Hove City Council to allocate places to over-subscribed schools by electronic ballot. A number of Labour Councils are considering whether to allocate all school places via a lottery system. Mr Wilson sits on the influential Commons Education and Skills Select Committee. Mr Wilson asked: “You have fought hard within your own party to ensure that parents have a wider choice of schools to send their children to. Would you therefore have accepted your own children being allocated a school place on the basis of a lottery system?” Mr Blair replied: “Whatever system is involved, whether it is a catchment area or a lottery, there are always going to be parents that don’t manage to get their first preference, although the vast majority of parents do.” The Prime Minister said he agreed “for once” with the Conservatives on education when they said the most important thing was to increase the number of good schools. He added: “I would just say to you that, whereas in 1997 I think, there were only 80 secondary schools in the country getting over 70% five good GCSEs, today the figure is over 600 so that is a huge improvement in the last 10 years.” Rob commented “The Prime Minister ignored the thrust of my question which asked about the acceptability of a lottery to allocate children to schools. What is the point of widening the range and therefore choice of schools through the Education Act last year, only to remove all choice from parents through a lottery. "I am surprised the Prime Minister did not oppose a mad idea that if implemented would destroy standards in schools and cause a stampede to the independent sector. In my view children should be able to attend a good school that suits their needs and meets their parents’ wishes. To allocate by random chance takes no account of either factor and is unacceptable.” 07/03/07 |
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