At the end of 2014, the Independent carried a story which concluded that grammar schools are no more successful than comprehensive schools at getting pupils into elite universities. 'Working-class pupils are just as likely to get a degree after attending a comprehensive school as a grammar school', the article stated. The piece was underpinned by in-depth analysis of the educational histories of more than 7,000 people, carried out by researchers at the Institute of Education and the University of Manchester.
It certainly sounds convincing, but it's not conclusive. Will the argument surrounding grammar schools v comprehensives ever be settled?
Conflicting evidence
It's a debate which never fails to draw a spirited response. On one side, we have the opinion, and the research, that claims that attending grammar school gives no significant advantages to a young person in terms of the university they attend afterwards or the grades they achieve.
Then there is this research, recently undertaken by a group of universities – the University of Bristol, the University of Bath, and the Institute of Education at the University of London, which concluded that those who attend grammar school earned significantly more than their comprehensive competitors later in life.
The pay of more than 2,500 people born between 1961 and 1983 was analysed, and the wage difference between the top ten per cent and bottom ten per cent of earners in selective schooling areas was found to be a staggering £16.41 an hour between 2009 and 2012. So why is there such a gap between grammar and comprehensive? Are grammar schools really that much better?
An elitist system all round
Many grammar schools effectively gain their prestige in the education sector through historical means - i.e. if the school has been running since the 1800s, it must be effective and elite. The grammar school selection process itself is elitist, with children either gaining entry by passing an enrolment test (known as the 11+ exam), being proficient in a musical instrument or practising a certain faith.