An Open Letter to Theresa May MP

Dear Theresa May,

I am a grammar school girl. I left at 16 and went to work in an industrial lab.
I took day release and evening classes and then eventually went to the local polytechnic.

I left industry and moved into teaching, in a secondary modern school which today would be in special measures or even closed down..

18 months later that school became a comprehensive with a new head teacher who expected everyone of all ages, including the teachers, to do their best.

Even the children previously written off were now praised for their achievements, stretched to do better and praised again for trying. And not just in English and maths, but in art and football and cookery and metalwork.

By the time the first comprehensive year worked through to exam age we were celebrating with those who passed O levels with flying colours and would go on to 6th form college, as well as celebrating those with less traditional achievements:

"Maria", who at age 13 couldn't read more than simple 3 letter words without stumbling, but at age16 passed her CSE in English and had the confidence to stand up and read in public.

"Vince" who hated school with a passion at 11, but then discovered a talent for cookery so learned to read in order to follow the recipes and eventually landed a job as a sous chef in a rather posh hotel.

The little group who "couldn't do mental arithmetic" but managed to do it faster than me when I took a dart board into class.

These are the kinds of things that mean a rounded education to me - not going to a selective school and getting lots of high marks in exams while forgetting the 70% (or whatever number is chosen) who don't get selected and don't get those chances.
Mrs May - I, along with thousands of Liberal Democrats throughout the UK really do believe that every child matters and that every child deserves the chance to be the best they can be. Please look at the evidence and make policy accordingly - forget about grammar schools and put the resource into bringing all of our schools up to the standard of the best.

Yours sincerely,

Maureen Rigg