By Sheila Mckenzie-
Former chancellor, Rishi Sunak , vowed to support the return of grammar schools, during a hustings with rival Liz Truss, he revealed.
The former chancellor, who attended one of the UK’s most expensive public schools, used his opening speech at the debate in Leeds to say he would create “a Britain where the birthright of every child is a world class education”.
Mr Sunak’s team said he would expand existing grammar schools in “wholly selective areas”, and will maintain commitments under the Selective School Expansion Fund. Over 170,000 pupils attend an existing grammar school- schools that select pupils on the basis on ability
That scheme funds the expansion of certain state schools which select by ability, subject to certain conditions.
Current Uk law prohibits the opening of new grammar schools, and no new schools are allowed to select pupils by their grades. But as prime minister, Sunak will push for more grammar schools which admit only pupils who are proven to be academic and have prepared hard for grammar school. Sunak’s comments comes as this publication is scheduled to conduct research about the advantages and disadvantages of all boys and all girl grammar schools.
Mr Sunak said: “I believe in educational excellence, I believe education is the most powerful way we can transform people’s lives.
“But I also think there’s lots we can do with the school system as we have it.”
“Now what Michael Gove did several years ago [by expanding free schools and academies] was transformative.
“And Michael took on some vested interests, challenged consensus, brought in some reforms that mean that millions of our children now are better off.
“But that’s a Conservative way to do it. It’s not about throwing more money at the problem, it’s about reforming the system to get better outcomes. And that’s what I would do with education as well.”
Ms Truss, who has been outspoken about alleged failings when she was schoolgirl in Leeds, said: “I hope there are no teachers of mine in the audience, and if there are I’m really, really sorry.
When Truss was challenged by an audience member about the impact of Covid on the schools system, she said, “we should not have closed our schools, and I think it has caused a great deal of damage to our children”.
To tackle the legacy of the pandemic, she suggested there should be more mental health support available for children, and a focus on school standards.
In response to an audience member, Truss also said she would instruct schools to provide single sex toilets. “I’ve been very clear that single sex spaces should be protected, particularly for young people, as well as vulnerable people … as prime minister I would direct that to happen, because it’s a difficult time being a teenager, being a young girl, and you should be able to have the privacy you need in your own loo.”
In response to a question about transgender children, she said, “I do not believe that under 18s should be able to make irreversible decisions about their own bodies that they might come to regret later,” but added, “schools should be sensitive: they can provide additional facilities, but it should not be at the expense of protecting young girls.”
Unlike the previous televised debates, which have featured fiery disagreements between the pair, the event saw Sunak and Truss initially appear separately, with each given the opportunity to make a short speech, and take members’ questions.
Truss, who lived in Leeds for much of her childhood, highlighted her connections with the city, pointing out that her parents still live there, and jokingly apologising to her former teachers after she criticised the school she attended.
“What I think I got from Yorkshire is grit, straight talking and determination: and that, my friends, is what we now need in Downing Street,” she told the audience of Tory members.
Sunak pointed to what he said were the values of his family: “patriotism, service, hard work, aspiration”.
“Family means everything to me – the bonds of sacrifice and commitment that family brings are far greater than anything that any government could ever replicate and we should never forget that,” he said.
Both contestants named Margaret Thatcher as the best ever leader of Great Britain
When Sunak was asked what Thatcher would have made of his policy of increasing taxes, he insisted, “I think she would have responded as I have done by gripping inflation first. That was very much her mantra, was do that first.”
Interestingly when Sunak was challenged by one party member, Matthew from West Yorkshire, over allegations he had stabbed Boris Johnson in the back, he did not explicitly deny the charge. He replied: “Many people continue to support Boris Johnson who has delivered consistently through treacherous waters, and many people unfortunately see that you’ve stabbed him in the back,” he said.
Sunak replied by highlighting the claim made in his resignation letter that he had stepped down because of policy differences. “I resigned, because the prime minister and the chancellor cannot be in a different place when it comes to economic policy.”