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Press Release

ATL COMMENT ON SCHOOL ADMISSION APPEALS

22 May 2008

“While the admissions and appeals system works for some parents, it certainly does not fulfill the Government's aim of raising school standards. And parental choice of schools discriminates against the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children, whose families are least able to negotiate the system.

“Any admissions system which encourages parents to give preferences is bound to create losers as well as winners because the demand for places at popular schools is likely to be higher than the number available.

“The Government has created the totally misleading impression that parents can choose which school their child attends, and that the choice of school will make a huge difference to each child’s education – but neither is true.

“We would like a debate on whether giving parents a significant choice over their child’s school makes the system any fairer or better? There is good evidence from other European countries that school admissions are fairer for the majority when parents don’t have any say. A lottery system would almost undoubtedly be fairer to all children, and their parents.”



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Association of Teachers and Lecturers

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