Whilst I agree with the statement about class, I can't agree that Grammar Schools are the answer.

Back in the day I went to what was known as a Secondary Modern School, it was where they sent us cannon fodder considered as failures to…

Whilst I agree with the statement about class, I can't agree that Grammar Schools are the answer.

Back in the day I went to what was known as a Secondary Modern School, it was where they sent us cannon fodder considered as failures to society for not passing the hated 11-plus exam that separated us all. Back then if you passed that horrible exam you did, at least, have a choice of either a Grammar School or a Technical College.

I was a borderline at pass mark and re-sat the 11-plus during my first year at Secondary school. Imagine the upheaval if I'd passed and been dragged out to go to a posh Grammar School where they wore fancy blazers that my poor parents would never have afforded to buy. Therefore I put no effort into passing.

We were written off as Council Estate kids even then. My brother passed and went on to a Technical College, where he was taught useful skills rather than to the posh place that taught academic only.

Comprehensive schools, of which some are excellent, have been deliberately underfunded for many years by the Conservative Party who loved the class separations.

My Mother went to a Grammar school and hated it for she won a scholarship and had to put up with much ridicule for her second hand uniform and other hateful bullying from teachers and pupils alike.

My area has what used to be the excellent Anglo-European school, a comprehensive that both my own kids went to and had a European ethos, where 2 other languages were compulsory, and even took the European Baccalaureate. Imagine where that has been placed since Brexit. Local parents complained about why their kids had to learn languages so that was eventually reduced to one compulsory and others as a choice addition.

As always, class and extreme right ideology has hurt that formerly excellent school, whereas the huge private Brentwood School continues to proliferate snobbery and class.

It is the way in the UK, the ruling class needs to stay that way and the rest are as much cannon fodder as Putin's conscripts.