Jill Jones, 55, HR, Caerphilly 
In the wake of Theresa May’s controversial plans to introduce more grammar schools in Britain, the Welsh government have firmly expressed that selective schools have no place within present society.
Classroom: Should grammar schools be reintroduced in Wales?
Welsh education secretary Kirsty Williams said: “Unlike England, we have absolutely no plans to return to a selective education system. We are currently engaged in an ambitious programme of education reform firmly focused on driving up standards and helping every learner in Wales fulfil their potential.”
Grammar schools were gradually removed in Wales throughout the 1970s with the last, Whitland Grammar, closing in 1988. Since then, there have been no grammar schools here and the introduction of new selective schools in Britain has been prohibited since 1998.
Theresa May’s plans to lift the current ban and establish new grammar schools have been largely driven by her desire to improve social mobility and grant a stretching education to the most academically able, regardless of their background.
Like Mrs May, retired Welsh secondary school teacher David Hopkins sees the introduction of grammar schools as an opportunity to give students from poorer backgrounds a better education. He says: “As a teacher of 29 years in a comprehensive, I came away with the idea that a lot of children were being short changed. They weren’t being stretched far enough.”
However, several Welsh political parties – including the Conservatives – object to grammar schools, primarily on the basis of their divisiveness. Darren Millar, education spokesman for the Welsh Conservatives said: “Instead of creating a divide between our young people by re-introducing grammar schools in Wales, we should instead be ensuring that every child in Wales has equal access to a quality education and promoting choice as a driver for improvement.”
We took to the streets to find out the public’s thoughts about grammar schools in Wales.
