THE Tories' election pledge of a grammar school in every town - provided that parents want it - may have a backfire in it.

For while there is no doubt that the existing grammars are popular - over-subscribed by parents seeking places on the basis of their generally-better achievements - voters may pause for thought before seeking more of them.

For, inevitably, selective grammars cream-off the most able children and, even without the restoration of an 11-plus examination system, would continue to do so.

The question, then, is: what of the rest?

Would not communities confronting the issue of whether to seek a grammar school in their area also have to consider that they would be undermining the comprehensive system catering for all abilities?

And that, as a result, they would embark not just on creating more grammars, but more schools for pupils with lower abilities?

Parents want the best opportunities for their children, but, surely, the doubtful aspect of the Tory plan for extra grammars is that it would be creating extra secondary moderns deemed to offer less opportunity to the majority who do not make the grammar grade.

Voters' instinctive response, then, may be to want more grammar schools. But when they stop to think, they may decide not to vote for more of the alternative.

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