Minister attacks school selection

Selection exists in Northern Ireland and parts of England

Children's Secretary Ed Balls has attacked academic selection, saying pupils who miss out on grammar school places feel like failures.

He said England's secondary moderns would get extra money to help them overcome problems created by selective education systems.

In a speech to heads in Birmingham, he said he did not like selection.

Secondary moderns often taught the poorest children in an area and needed extra support, he said.

"Let me make clear that I do not like selection," Mr Balls said.

Secondary moderns face particular challenges relative to other schools

Ed Balls, England Schools Secretary

"I accept though that selection is a local decision for parents and local authorities. But I do not accept that children in secondary moderns should be left to fall behind.

"Some secondary moderns are showing that it is possible to achieve really excellent results. But the fact is that selection does make it more difficult for these schools.

"They still have a much more deprived intake than their neighbouring grammar schools - over six times more in fact.

"And I've heard first-hand how some of the young people starting in these schools feel on day one that they have already failed."

He said there was a special responsibility in those areas - on local authorities and "on all of us" to make sure those young people got the support they needed.

Last week the government named 638 secondary schools in England where fewer than three in 10 pupils achieve five good GCSEs including maths and English.

'Good chance'

More than one in 10 of the schools on the list is a secondary modern - a non-selective school in an area where are other state schools are academically selective.

Mr Balls said he would publish a "secondary modern strategy" next month.

"It will specifically aim to improve the performance of all non-selective schools in selective areas," he said.

"Secondary moderns face particular challenges relative to other schools because of the combination of relative deprivation and dealing with the consequences of the 11-plus."

Mr Balls added that it was right to "target resources where we can to make sure that every child has a good chance".

He also hinted there could be more pay for heads teachers in such schools.

"I am asking the pay review body to look at how we can best reward the leaders for the extra challenges they face in those schools," Mr Balls said.

Past Labour education secretaries in England have also attacked selection on academic ability.

Westminster's policy is to let local people decide if they want to get rid of selection but not to expand the system.

In December, Northern Ireland Education Minister Caitr�ona Ruane announced that the 11-plus, or transfer test, would come to an end in 2008. But there is an on-going row between the political parties about its replacement.

Wales and Scotland do not have grammar schools.