Walthamstow Guardian; Council Discussion May, 1966

Last Ditch Ratepayers' Association Move is Crushed May 1966

A minority move to defer a final decision on the two-tier comprehensive secondary school system now being worked out for Waltham Forest failed - a victim of the Labour majority steam roller - at Monday's (May 2nd) Education Committee meeting.

But during the long debate many members expressed reservations and misgivings about the system - with all children transferring from junior secondary school to senior secondary school at the age of 14.
Council leader Cllr. H.J.E. Palethorpe admitted that he was not 100 per cent convinced that 14 was the correct transfer age. But there would always be chance to amend the scheme at some later date.
From the Ratepayers Association front bench, Cllr. H.J. Berry proposed that the Department of Education and Science be told the local authority was not_convinced the existing comprehensive systems in use hat other parts of the country had proved themselves completely and that it would prefer to retain the present selective system, suitably amended, for the time being.
Cllr Berry assured the Committee that his was not a political move: he had always kept an open mind on the "comprehensive" question and had been impressed by the many divergent views advanced by outsiders.'
"The break of schools at 14 does not make for continuity," said Cllr. Berry. "I also have doubts about the sixth-form college which comes from a system where children transfer at 16."
Many Doubts

"Because of the many doubts in my mind, I would prefer us to mark time," Cllr. Betry continued. "1 don't think we will be 'missing the boat' as much as we would be waiting to ensure that the boat we board is the best one for us."
Support for Cllr. Berry's view came from R.A, colleague, Cllr. John Corder, who pointed out that many councils up and down to country had asked for, and been granted, an extension of time for the submission of their commprehensive school proposals.
One advantage claimed for the comprehensive education system was that it broke down the class barriers. But Cltr. Corder feared the reverse would result from all children living in a particular area attending the same school.
The lone Conservative spokesman, Cllr. Harry Fulton, made seven major points against comprehensive education: ',
(1) the grammar school, having proved itself over many years, still had a part to play;
(2) comprehensive education might be suitable for some areas but not other,,,
(3) any reorganisation should allow for the co-existence of comprehensive and grammar schools;
(4) that the thin spread of the top academic level children over all schools will be helped was a suspect view;
(5) Single sex schools should be part of the new system;
(6) parents should retain thcir right to insist on church school education for their children, and
(7) A dislike of any attempt to force through political ideologies in the form o any educational system.

Opportunities
Taking up an earlier point in the debate, Cllr, Garner Smith (Lahour) pointed out that the parents of only 25 per cent of the children in the town were able to select their youngsters' schools; the 11-plus failures went where they were sent.
"We must consider the majority of children" he went on; "The 25 per cent who pass the 11-plus will get there anyway. But we want to give the other 75 per cent greater opportunities,"
Cllr. Smith's wife, Cllr, Mrs. Violet Smith, pointed out that no child would be deprived of attending a church school.
Council leader, Cllr. H.J.E Palethorpe pointed out that if Mr. Crosland did not like the scheme, he would be able to reject it or send it back to the Council.
Free Churches' spokesman on the Committee, the Rev. Charles Dawes, feared certain rights were being taken away from the local education authorities by the Government imposing its will on them. "We are in danger of being ruled by remote control" he said.
Inadequate
"We know too that the money available for the changeover is inadequate to deal with this revolutionary move and so, for too long, we must try to make a system work without the necessary financial backing," Mr. Dawes continued.
Council deputy leader,Cllr. Terence Messenger, claimed that the R.A, members' demands for deferment of a decision cloaked their actual opposition to comprehensive education in any form,
"With this scheme we are aiming to give every child, at every stage, the opportunity to fulfil himself," he added.
Teachers' representative, Mr. G.W. Cordrey was anxious that children should retain the right to transfer from the senior secondary schools to further education is soon as they were permitted to leave school.
Only three members supported the deferment proposal.