Ruth Davidson rules out backing grammar schools in Scotland

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has ruled out pushing for a revival of grammar schools in Scotland.

Theresa May has stated her intention to lift the ban on grammar schools, but Davidson said the proposals would not appear in the Scottish Conservatives’ manifesto “as long as I’m leader”.

She argued Scotland does not have the same “history or heritage” of grammar schools. The Scottish Tory leader will instead focus on urging SNP ministers to free up schools from local authority control.

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Davidson said: “It’s not something I’ve ever suggested.

“It’s never been in any manifesto I’ve written and it won’t be in any manifesto that I write for Scotland as long as I’m leader of the Scottish Conservative Party.

“It’s not the way in which we’ve been looking at academic policy. We’re going to continue looking at empowering individual schools and individual school leaders.”

May has vowed to press ahead with expanding and creating new grammars despite resistance from Tory ranks and on the opposition benches.

Former education secretary Nicky Morgan, who has made clear her trepidation to the proposals, yesterday upped her critique of the Government’s planned expansion of grammar schools.

“For me, I do worry that a return to more selection risks undermining the progress that we have seen over the course of the last decade in our schools, by throwing something else into the education debate rather than focusing on every school offering an excellent education,” she told a fringe meeting at the Tory party conference in Birmingham.

The Prime Minister believes the proposals would amount to a “radical expansion of good school places”.

Education Secretary Justine Greening will address delegates in Birmingham later today, with Davidson and May speaking tomorrow.