13/11/2011 The Politics Show South West


13/11/2011

Similar Content

Browse content similar to 13/11/2011. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

Welcome to the Baltic shore in the South West.

:32:08.:32:13.

Few issues in education divide people as sharply as drum --

:32:13.:32:19.

grammar schools. -- welcome to the Politics Show. Some people say they

:32:19.:32:25.

brutally brand most children as failures by the age of 11. The

:32:25.:32:32.

Conservative's party's previous pledge to build more grammar

:32:32.:32:37.

schools has been replaced by a ban on building any at all. Mr Cameron

:32:37.:32:43.

said it was an outdated mantra that poor no reality to real life. One

:32:43.:32:49.

Conservative MP was calling for more of them.

:32:49.:32:53.

Some politicians cannot resist boasting about him.

:32:53.:32:57.

This grammar-school boy is not going to take any lessons from that

:32:57.:33:02.

public school boy... Others loathe them.

:33:02.:33:05.

The they are effectively private schools without the fees.

:33:05.:33:08.

They still have fans in high places...

:33:08.:33:12.

These are excellent schools. Though others would much rather

:33:12.:33:17.

move on. It to a pointless debate, and I am not in politics to waste

:33:17.:33:19.

time and. Was debates.

:33:19.:33:28.

But it -- if there is one -- I am not in politics to waste time on

:33:28.:33:36.

pointless debate. In the 1960s, the comprehensive

:33:36.:33:39.

system arrived, and over the next few years there was great pressure

:33:39.:33:45.

to scrap grammar schools. And they went in Cornwall, Somerset and West

:33:45.:33:49.

Dorset, but there were pockets of resistance in parts of Devon that

:33:49.:33:54.

succeeded. There are grammar-school sin

:33:54.:34:02.

Plymouth, Torbay and East Devon. Seven in the county, 164 and the

:34:02.:34:08.

country. -- there are grammar- school staff in Plymouth.

:34:08.:34:12.

Education secretaries like David Banque -- David Blunkett had

:34:12.:34:17.

aspirations to abolish them which came to nothing. David Cameron said

:34:17.:34:20.

this. The policy idea that has been

:34:20.:34:28.

knocking around for a long time is completely delusional. It is not

:34:28.:34:32.

something the Conservatives did for 18 years in power. It is not

:34:32.:34:37.

something we would do if elected. Yet, only this week there was a

:34:37.:34:41.

debate on grammar schools in Parliament. Conservative MPs lined

:34:41.:34:45.

up to sing their praises. provide a social mobility and

:34:45.:34:49.

opportunity for thousands of children each year and are a hugely

:34:49.:34:55.

popular with pupils and parents alike.

:34:55.:35:01.

I hope the department can consider allowing academies that it did not

:35:01.:35:05.

previously select on academic ability to do so.

:35:05.:35:08.

There are no plans for more grammar schools, but the Government has

:35:08.:35:13.

said existing grammar schools can expand because it has changed

:35:13.:35:18.

admission chords to boost numbers are good schools. But what does

:35:18.:35:23.

that mean in practice? Paul Evans is the head teacher at the scrum a

:35:23.:35:27.

school in east Devon. It is one of the most successful schools in the

:35:27.:35:34.

country, with 800 pupils drawn from the surrounding region Mike. --

:35:35.:35:39.

head teacher at this grammar school in east Devon.

:35:39.:35:43.

The intake is unlikely to rise despite changes to the admissions

:35:43.:35:48.

policy. We would inevitably compromised

:35:48.:35:56.

what we were doing. Occasionally we may ask independent panels to take

:35:56.:36:00.

individual pupils on, but the consequences are that they are

:36:00.:36:04.

sitting two to a desk or sharing a computer, that does not want in the

:36:04.:36:08.

long term. The principle remains - grammar

:36:08.:36:12.

schools could expand, and that is something that upholds those who

:36:12.:36:17.

think they distort and disrupt the education system. -- that horrifies

:36:17.:36:22.

those. This former teacher is strongly opposed to the idea and

:36:22.:36:26.

dead set against anything that would allow grammar schools to get

:36:26.:36:30.

bigger. I want to see children go to their

:36:30.:36:34.

local school and mix with local strata so they learn to get on with

:36:34.:36:39.

everybody, not just an elite from wealthy backgrounds who are highly

:36:39.:36:42.

intelligent. But it is those academic success

:36:42.:36:47.

levels which, for some, makes the idea of expanding grammars schools

:36:47.:36:53.

an appealing prospect. A around 1050 grammar school pupils

:36:53.:36:59.

were studying at Cambridge and Oxford in 2009. 98 % of pupils

:37:00.:37:04.

achieved five or more GCSEs, including cheap -- English and

:37:04.:37:10.

maths, compared to 57 % nationally. Most grammar schools are

:37:10.:37:14.

oversubscribed, with the 11-plus exam used to select pupils,

:37:14.:37:20.

something that can be too much for those who don't make it.

:37:20.:37:24.

And think it is devastating. Imagine telling a child of 11 they

:37:24.:37:26.

are a complete failure. It is socially divisive.

:37:26.:37:31.

If but for those who get in, rewards can be extraordinary. Last

:37:31.:37:37.

year, 20 of the school's student made it to Oxford or Cambridge.

:37:37.:37:43.

Easy to see why some want more grammar schools.

:37:43.:37:49.

I enjoyed by the Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton.

:37:49.:37:52.

You have grammar schools in your constituency and you're supportive,

:37:52.:37:54.

and you would like to see more of them.

:37:54.:38:00.

Yes, that is an excellent school, I supported 100%. I want to see

:38:00.:38:05.

choice, and we have academy status now, and if some of those academies

:38:05.:38:10.

would like to have a selective programme -- selective process I

:38:10.:38:14.

think we should. Grammar schools can be complementary. I don't

:38:14.:38:18.

believe they are divisive and I think they bring people up socially.

:38:18.:38:23.

Many grammar-school boys have come from very poor backgrounds to go on

:38:23.:38:29.

and do extremely well. It is a case of giving schools choice and making

:38:29.:38:32.

sure we have technical schools that can link in with apprenticeship

:38:32.:38:36.

schemes. The problem with the grammar school system was we did

:38:36.:38:40.

not spend enough money on those he did not get to grammar school. I

:38:40.:38:44.

did not get to grammar school, I went to an agricultural technical

:38:44.:38:49.

school, but I do not consider myself a failure. I do not want to

:38:49.:38:52.

force anyone, I would local academies to be able to make those

:38:52.:38:57.

decisions. We talk about grammar schools, but

:38:57.:39:00.

selection is the distinguishing factor, and you would like to see

:39:00.:39:06.

the option of schools selecting. I think so, because if you can

:39:06.:39:10.

concentrate those who are extremely academic together, it is not about

:39:10.:39:15.

privilege, it is about intelligence and lifting people up. Then you can

:39:15.:39:20.

also look at schools where people are more technically aware going

:39:20.:39:25.

into practical type subjects, let's have some help for them, as well.

:39:25.:39:29.

Let's not only considered one grammar schools, but I think where

:39:29.:39:32.

there are academies who think they can be complementary to the

:39:32.:39:36.

education system, let's give them the choice to be able to go and

:39:36.:39:40.

select if they want to. Have you any idea how many

:39:40.:39:42.

selective academies you would like to see?

:39:42.:39:48.

No, I do not put down numbers, because what I don't want is to

:39:49.:39:52.

force schools into grammar school status. But I do not want them to

:39:52.:39:57.

not be able to go down that route if they choose to. For generations,

:39:57.:40:01.

governments have been far too prescriptive about education, and I

:40:01.:40:08.

thought the whole idea of a our education policy was to give local

:40:08.:40:12.

governors more freedom in education. The reality at the moment, under

:40:12.:40:18.

the law, parents can decide to close down a grammar school through

:40:18.:40:23.

a ballot, but they cannot decide to create one. How do you feel about

:40:23.:40:27.

the shift in Conservative policy since David Cameron took over?

:40:27.:40:32.

that is what I believe is wrong. You cannot have a one way thought.

:40:32.:40:34.

You cannot have a one way thought. I think you should be allowed,

:40:34.:40:40.

parents and governors, they should be allowed to vote on whether they

:40:40.:40:44.

would like to create a selective grammar school, as well. Then there

:40:44.:40:49.

is equal status. Altogether, it is about local people having the

:40:49.:40:53.

choice and looking at how a grammar school may fit into a given area.

:40:53.:40:58.

The last thing I would want to do is forsworn on anyone, but why

:40:58.:41:02.

should you only be able to force grammar schools to close down, but

:41:02.:41:05.

in the areas where they would like to see another grammar school you

:41:05.:41:13.

are not allowed that thought. David Cameron had some pretty

:41:13.:41:18.

damning things to say about people, like you, who want grammar schools.

:41:18.:41:22.

What do you think about that? What do you think about that?

:41:22.:41:24.

What do you think about that? Myself, as a self-made man who led

:41:24.:41:25.

Myself, as a self-made man who led to a secondary school to finish my

:41:25.:41:29.

education, I think I am well placed to be able to say, if we want war

:41:29.:41:35.

grammars schools, it is not a good privilege, it is about giving local

:41:35.:41:41.

people a choice. -- if we want more grammar schools. Let's not be

:41:41.:41:45.

dogmatic about it and make it for perhaps politically correct reasons.

:41:45.:41:49.

Let's bring people up through a system which will pull them up

:41:49.:41:58.

through their bootstraps from all You wear a Euro-rebel couple of

:41:59.:42:05.

weeks ago, that is an issue for the Conservatives. How much is this

:42:05.:42:08.

issue of grammar schools are running sore in the at Conservative

:42:08.:42:13.

Party? It is not a running sore, I think

:42:13.:42:18.

it is right we should have discussion, like a referendum on

:42:18.:42:22.

Europe. The Conservative Party is quite an independent bunch, and I

:42:22.:42:26.

think that is what our Prime Minister needs to realise.

:42:26.:42:35.

Earlier this year, a Somerset was dubbed a philistine County Council

:42:35.:42:41.

when the authority became the first to cut its programme for arts. It

:42:41.:42:44.

says it is having to implement the cuts as the Government is reducing

:42:44.:42:50.

funding. Six months after the cuts, have the curtains closed on the

:42:50.:42:54.

Somerset arts? He hello, Mr council leader, give

:42:54.:42:58.

me my money! I have not got any money, goalie!

:42:58.:43:05.

For people involved in the arts, it is no punch and Judy joke. This

:43:05.:43:09.

time last year they were fighting for funding.

:43:09.:43:14.

Armed with a cake showing the money for arts as a slice of the

:43:14.:43:17.

council's budget, dozens of protesters marched on a council

:43:17.:43:22.

meeting to decide their fate. Famous faces were concerned for

:43:22.:43:26.

their country's future. Somerset County Council is the

:43:26.:43:30.

first council in the UK to do this. It is lunacy.

:43:30.:43:36.

This is not a boat as as preposterous account -- actors

:43:36.:43:42.

making pleas, it is about art for everyone.

:43:42.:43:47.

Somerset's cuts meant all 10 arts organisations lost their grants

:43:47.:43:52.

from April. Six months on, have they won their fight to survive?

:43:52.:43:55.

At this theatre, they were worried about having all Grant taking no

:43:55.:44:04.

way -- taken away? You is that funding and you have to

:44:04.:44:08.

try and find a different future, and if they can't they want, and

:44:08.:44:13.

you will see places closing next year, I am sure of it. If they can

:44:13.:44:16.

adapt and find different uses for their buildings, then they will

:44:16.:44:20.

survive. Adapting is the key for these

:44:20.:44:25.

artists meeting in Taunton. They are all having to work for less

:44:25.:44:28.

money -- with less money, but none have folded.

:44:28.:44:34.

At some stage we need to arrive at the position of clarity on what the

:44:34.:44:39.

direction for the future will be, and we will have to make decisions

:44:40.:44:46.

on whether the programme develops in a more commercial sense. He for

:44:46.:44:49.

some theatres, technology is the future.

:44:50.:44:54.

This theatre has fewer actors on its stage and is beaming in

:44:54.:44:58.

productions, instead. As we reduce the number of

:44:58.:45:03.

companies to perform live on our stage, we may well increase the

:45:03.:45:10.

number of companies we see on our cinema screen.

:45:10.:45:13.

People in Somerset have been fantastic, the way they have

:45:13.:45:17.

responded. I have heard of stories of fund-raising events, there is a

:45:17.:45:26.

real spirit. There is a concern that spurred me flag at some point.

:45:26.:45:30.

What does the poster boy of the anti- cuts campaign made of things

:45:30.:45:36.

six months on? I am seeing-to month -- two things,

:45:36.:45:40.

firstly a remarkable trench spirit is developing. Companies are

:45:40.:45:50.

determined not to bore down and are exploring ways to save a leaky ship.

:45:50.:45:52.

Artists will continue to produce great work, however much they

:45:52.:45:59.

suffer, and perhaps it is a good idea to suffer, they will perhaps

:45:59.:46:03.

produce greater work - again not buy that. There is a determination

:46:03.:46:08.

to survive, come what may, but it cannot be on these terms, when all

:46:08.:46:13.

people are doing is surviving. Gathering friends is the key to

:46:13.:46:17.

survival for many of these groups. As long as that lasts, the curtains

:46:17.:46:23.

will not come down on them for good. In a statement, Somerset County

:46:23.:46:27.

Council told us it was committed to supporting organisations within the

:46:27.:46:36.

creative industries sector. They have set up the Creative Industry

:46:36.:46:40.

Development Fund which helped set up new opportunities in the arts

:46:40.:46:43.

sector. The eyes of the world are focused

:46:43.:46:47.

on the euro, with many questioning the wisdom of the currency in the

:46:47.:46:52.

first place. In Cornwall, there are moves to create a much smaller

:46:52.:46:57.

currency that we are accustomed to. Advocates say it would help keep

:46:57.:47:01.

spending in Cornwall and help the local economy.

:47:01.:47:07.

It may seem a long way from home, but global -- the global financial

:47:07.:47:11.

crisis is prompting calls for radical thinking to protect

:47:11.:47:15.

Cornwall's economy. Business seems brisk on a wet

:47:15.:47:18.

November day in Truro, and some believe the money changing hands

:47:18.:47:24.

here should be kept in the county by creating a Cornish currency.

:47:24.:47:29.

We are at the beck and call of the smashed -- financial markets, and

:47:29.:47:36.

we need a debate on how to make our communities more resilient. It is

:47:36.:47:43.

about how to have a currency which can be linked to sterling which can

:47:43.:47:50.

then keep wealth in Cornwall. But how would it work practically?

:47:50.:47:54.

Ian James says the logistics needs some thought, but points to the

:47:54.:47:59.

success of other complementary currency schemes abroad and at home,

:47:59.:48:03.

including one in Devon. The Totnes pound has been in circulation since

:48:03.:48:07.

2007, and concurrently be used in around 70 shops and businesses

:48:07.:48:11.

around the town. This is one of the issuing points

:48:11.:48:17.

when I can exchange sterling for Totnes pounds. Now I have one, I

:48:17.:48:21.

can assure you how it works. I have come across the road for a

:48:21.:48:28.

cup of tea, because my pound cannot believe Totnes. Like having a gift

:48:28.:48:35.

voucher, you literally get like for like. The sterling behind the

:48:35.:48:39.

Totnes pounds is used to offer short-term interest -- low-interest

:48:39.:48:47.

loans to local businesses. Those involved say the �6,500

:48:47.:48:50.

currently in circulation make up a small amount of the town's economy.

:48:51.:48:55.

We wanted it to be the first step on an exploration of the

:48:55.:49:02.

infrastructure we need to support our robust local economy, to try

:49:02.:49:06.

and avoid the leaky bucket syndrome where money leaks out of the time.

:49:06.:49:13.

Saw, could this small scheme like the one in Totnes be a success

:49:13.:49:18.

across the county? I think it would be successful if

:49:18.:49:23.

the local authorities agreed to take it as taxation payment.

:49:23.:49:27.

But there is caution over the river. The man in charge of the economy

:49:27.:49:33.

and regeneration in Cornwall council says the power is already

:49:33.:49:37.

with the local communities. The plumber, electrician and

:49:37.:49:42.

carpenter I employ all love local to me. The money I spend on them

:49:42.:49:44.

they keep in Cornwall spending on services.

:49:44.:49:48.

Is it not the nature of an economy that you have to look Edwards,

:49:48.:49:53.

rather than inwards? Yes, and to do that you have to

:49:53.:49:57.

encourage businesses to Cornwall and for existing businesses to grow

:49:57.:50:01.

and trade outside Cornwall. It is not about a separate currency, it

:50:01.:50:05.

is about bringing work into Cornwall.

:50:05.:50:08.

It is claimed local complementary currencies Fife in times of

:50:08.:50:12.

economic hardship, but when a leading economist thinks, beyond

:50:12.:50:16.

the symbolism of a bank note, it is a non-starter.

:50:16.:50:21.

He is no reason Cornwall could not have its own bank notes, like

:50:21.:50:26.

Scotland has, but it is not viable for it to have its own central bank.

:50:26.:50:31.

It will not have its own monetary policy, just like I presume it will

:50:31.:50:35.

not have its own army. It has been tried before in

:50:36.:50:40.

Cornwall - in the 1970s notes were issued by a pressure group, but

:50:40.:50:44.

that did not work out and people intrude all seem divided on whether

:50:44.:50:50.

it would work now. Cornwall could stand on its own, we

:50:50.:51:00.
:51:00.:51:00.

have mining, tourism, farming and fisheries. He bit in Cornwall and

:51:00.:51:03.

get some proper border controls in place.

:51:03.:51:07.

It is confusing enough now, it would confuse us even more, I think

:51:07.:51:14.

it might give it at try, why not? E Ian Jones says she is trying to

:51:14.:51:18.

raise the debate about the importance of supporting local

:51:18.:51:22.

economy in the face of huge global challenges. His first challenge may

:51:22.:51:27.

be getting the idea of a Cornish currency of the ground at all.

:51:27.:51:31.

That is almost dead from the South West this week, but there is just

:51:31.:51:34.

time to bring you an update on a story we covered a couple of weeks

:51:34.:51:39.

ago. Cornwall councillors were due to make a decision on a plan to

:51:39.:51:45.

close half the 20's toilets. The county has shelved the plans to

:51:45.:51:50.

spend more time assessing the impact of potential changes.

:51:50.:51:54.

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS