11-plus haters throw in the towel

Campaigners are beaten by 'total lack of support'

GROUPS fighting to end schools' 11-plus selection examinations in Kent, and to abolish the county's 39 grammar schools, have withdrawn from the battle. But only until September.

They say they might have lost this year's battle but certainly not the war.

A spokesman for STEP (Stop the Eleven Plus) said they'll be back in the fray, collecting signatures for their petition, at the start of the next academic year after the summer holidays.

Those opposed to STEP, who want to maintain grammar schools in Kent, were cock-a-hoop this week.

"The anti-grammar school campaigners have admitted defeat, Total lack of support for the petition from parents is the reason," said the county council's Tory leader Sandy Bruce Lockhart.

The task facing STEP had been to collect 47,000 signatures from parents in Kent calling for a ballot to abolish grammar schools.

Reg Hansell, Labour member of the county council, said 2,191 signatures were needed in Dover, 717 in Deal and 814 in Sandwich.

But, towards the end of this month, throughout Kent only around 7,000 had been persuaded to sign up. The 47,000 target had to be reached by the end of July. It was a mission impossible, decided STEP.

But Rebecca Matthews, for STEP, and others backing its campaign, claimed that although they had lost this year's fight they had learnt a lot which would help them when they restarted collecting parental signatures in September. "It's been a useful learning exercise," she said.

STEP also claimed that the education authorities at County Hall had smeared its campaign by throwing out red herrings with allegations of the cost of abolishing grammar schools and opening alternative schools.

The BEST task force campaign, opposed to STEP, had claimed reorganisation of schools would cost £165 million in Kent and £30 million in the Dover district. That was rubbish, retorted STEP.

Paul Carter, chairman of KCC's education committee, was delighted with STEP's decision to withdraw 'from this year's fight. "Common sense has prevailed, at least for this academic year," he said.

But he feared the threat to start the collection of signatures all over again in September would cause uncertainty for parents in Kent.

"I am depressed that antiselection campaigners are still talking about this second petition next year.

"They should now act honourably and understand that further petitioning is divisive, damaging and to the detriment of all Kent pupils and schools."

Those who want to keep Kent's 39 grammar schools - five in the Dover district and Folkestone district - say the Labour government should now amend legislation and remove the uncertainty over the future.