Dave Hill, president, Association of Directors of Children's Services; and DCS, Essex County Council: NO
The government's green paper, Schools that Work for Everyone, sets out a series of reforms to education policy, including plans to allow existing grammar schools to expand, new grammar schools to open and non-selective schools to become selective, subject to specific conditions such as ensuring a fixed proportion of entrants are from disadvantaged backgrounds.
While the ADCS welcomes the government's renewed focus on social mobility, this should be about raising the possibilities for all children and young people, not just the chosen few.
Efforts to improve social mobility should not start at age 11. Research and experience tells us that the best opportunity to close the gap between the most advantaged and disadvantaged families lies in the early years, yet the government has indefinitely delayed the publication of its life chances strategy.
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