The following two articles concern aspects relating to education in Kent. The first is our view regarding religious schools, the second concerns Kent County Council's desire to retain the homophobic section 28 legislation.
No to Selection by Religion
In March 2006, five Kent headteachers wrote to The Independent to say that the Labour government should include the abolition of Grammar Schools in the county in its education reforms. Socialists should agree with this, but most of the five schools concerned were themselves selective, not on the principle of the Eleven Plus exam, but on the Old Testament belief that the ‘sins of the Fathers should be visited unto the Sons’. Only those from families of the ‘correct’ religion, with a note from their Priest or Vicar to state that they are frequent Church attendees, are admitted!
In Tunbridge Wells, the two Christian (one Catholic, the other Church of England) ‘non-selective’ secondary schools (their Heads among the five that signed the letter) have good records of academic achievement where the vast majority of students gain at least five GCSEs, in contrast to a comprehensive in the same town where about a quarter achieve the same. Gaining employment, let alone access to further and higher education, is therefore far harder for those from non-religious backgrounds.
New Labour looks set to increase the number of schools where selection on the basis of religion is used to determine applications. Most of the City Academies are backed by religious groups (some more crudely than others, such as Vardy’s Creationist academies). The school of Blair’s own offspring, the London Oratory School, has been given specific and unique permission for this system of choosing pupils by Opus Dei member, and Minister for Education, Ruth Kelly. One of the failings of George Galloway’s ‘Respect’ coalition is that it has not aligned itself with socialists to oppose the creation of more religious schools, ignoring the issue in its stated policy on education. All socialists should unite to demand that there is no place for any schools selecting on the basis of religion within our society. This is the first stage in the creation of a secular, properly funded and democratically accountable system of comprehensive education.
KENT COUNTY COUNCIL STATES INTENTION TO RETAIN SECTION 28
International Socialist Resistance, the sister organisation of the Socialist Party, passed a resolution during its conference on Saturday 22 November 2004 condemning Kent County Council for refusing to abolish Section 28, a piece of discredited homophobic legislation which the present government is committed to removing nationally. Section 28 makes it far harder for teachers to deal with homophobic bullying in schools (whether the targeted student is homosexual or not), as they risk prosecution if they suggest homosexual relationships are acceptable.
The position of Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, the Conservative head of KCC, is given below.
'On the Kent Conservatives' website, a page topped with Sir Sandy's picture quotes him as saying: "We must protect our children as they grow up. We believe that Section 28 is right in prohibiting the intentional promotion of homosexuality in our schools.
"The Section 28 debate is one of those defining moments in politics when the vast majority of ordinary people have risen to say enough is enough. They are leaving politicians in no doubt that to take away this safeguard would be a move too far away from traditional, deep-rooted family values.
"I took legal advice in December [1999] and we are determined to continue in Kent the spirit and commitment of Section 28, irrespective of the government's intentions."'
From The Guardian, Monday November 17, 2003 by Audrey Gillan