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Why Alex faces a 45-mile trip to school
Tim Ross5 Mar 2009
An 11-year-old boy who passed the 11 Plus faces a 45-mile journey each day to the grammar school that has given him a place.
Alex Chatfield, from Kemsing, near Sevenoaks, has been told his "nearest appropriate school" is in Folkestone. His mother, Sandra Chatfield, said it would take him more than two hours to get to school and another two hours to return.
Kent county council said grammar schools in west Kent were heavily subscribed. It is encouraging parents who have not been given a local school for their child to appeal by 26 March.
Alex did not get his first two choices near his home and was instead offered The Harvey Grammar School. Mrs Chatfield said: "He would be able to do it if he walks to a station, takes one train, changes trains, gets a bus the other end, and has to still walk from the bus to the school."
Kent council said 78 per cent got into their first choice school, up from 70 per cent last year. Of those pupils who did not get their first choice, 11 per cent did get their second choice, it said.
Reader views (5)
I believe in educational apartheid, the separation of the clever from the non-clever pupils. Grammars for the gifted, and technical colleges for the woodworkers and plumbers-to-be, along with those pupils who take more interest in football than in knowledge.
- Neil M., london uk,, 05/03/2009 15:39
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Jan, making all schools into grammar schools would not solve the problem. The only thing that will solve the problem is to get all schools up to grammar school level. Unfortunately, this is something that will never happen in this country. This country has slipped into a culture that does not and will not take action against pupils who bring classes and learning down (which is why some schools fail to teach students anything). While this is the case, parents will always look to get their children into schools that have less of a yob culture where the teachers run the schools and not the students. Even if it means travelling from Sevenoaks to Folkstone, as this is so much better than what their children might become if they attend a local comprehensive. We need to take the power away from the students and give it back to the teachers and this, needs to be backed by the parents. Until this happens you will keep getting schools that are heavily oversubscribed and those that no one wants to go to.
- Gareth, London, 05/03/2009 15:21
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I have just had a great idea. Why don't we make ALL schools grammer schools. Then they would all be equal and no child would have to travel too far to school. This inequality of schools is creating havoc and nightmares for parents.
- Jan, London, 05/03/2009 12:10
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Absolutely ridiculous.
For an 11 year old, that's crazy!
- Aderemi, london uk, 05/03/2009 10:08
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Why dont the parents just move nearer to the school?
- Raminder Bhalla, Northolt, 05/03/2009 09:26
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