By Gavin Mackintosh-
British children are missing out of their preferred school due to new loosening of immigration rules that will allow more children into Britain. One in six children will miss out on their chosen secondary school this year, with the proportion rising for the fifth year in a row. Another factor affecting the admission of children into their preferred school is the boundaries set by some of the best state schools in Britain in the selection process.
The number of disappointed parents are on the rise, following the decline in admission for children not able to attend the school of their choice. Some parents went out of their way to buy homes in specific catchment areas with good schools, only to be turned down. The latest official statistics for entry this autumn show 17.9 per cent did not get their first-choice school place this year, compared with 16.5 per cent last year. This year reveals the highest level of disappointment for parents with high ambitions for their children in the last seven years.
The shortage of places has been triggered by a massive increase in applications. Apart from the huge rise in applications, a number of primary and secondary schools are quite selective in who they admit into their schools. Yes, there are many state schools that only want pupils from homes with a strong academic background or where the parents of the children strike them as responsible parents with good jobs. None of such schools announce their criteria openly, but The Eye Of Media.Com have identified a number through research, and ofcourse, have no intention to expose such schools to the controversy that could attend highlighting them.
They can’t be blamed, especially in a day and age where pupils in many schools lack discipline and good conduct. Ambitious head teachers in many schools only want children who are prepared to be taught and abide by instructions, and who come from stable homes with responsible parents who are committed to ensuring their children respond to the solid education some of these schools want for their pupils. Catholic schools in particular are fussy about children they admit into their schools, generally insisting on admitting pupils from homes where both parents are together and working.
This seemingly unfair state of play has a logic to it. Some British primary and secondary schools only want serious children in their schools.
This year saw the highest number of applications for a secondary place since records began ten years ago, with 582,761 submissions – an increase of 3.6 per cent on last year.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: ‘The drop in first-choice offers shows the pressure building on secondary school places, and this will intensify as the number of secondary pupils is projected to increase by more than 500,000 over the next seven years.
‘It is of paramount importance that the Government ensures sufficient numbers of good school places are provided to meet local needs.”
.’