Bless her cotton socks...

Ruth Kelly has categorically informed us that there is no possible way that the proposed education reforms that she and the rest of "the cronies" are pushing through with all of their might, will create a two-tier education system of haves and have-not's.

That is like saying that giving schools the opportunity to choose who they want in their school won't create a situation where some pupils will find it hard to get a decent standard of education and, furthermore, those that have the wealth to pay the school to "choose" their child won't be able to do so in a climate where most schools are trying to figure out how to stay open due to huge government cutbacks.

Oh bugger...I did it again didn't I...That is EXACTLY what she is saying.

How stupid do the government think that we are? I guess that they are working on the basis that if they continue to repeat the same lie, we will eventually believe it...

WMD's anybody?!??!

Monday 19th December 2005 | The Press Association

Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has moved to quell growing unrest among Labour MPs about the Government's plans for school reform, insisting there was "no way" they could lead to the return of selection by ability.

A simmering row over the changes was fuelled at the weekend by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who said he feared that giving schools greater freedom would mean a return to the 11-plus and poorer children losing out.

More than 70 Labour MPs have signed up to an alternative rebel package, raising the prospect that Tony Blair may be forced to rely on Conservative votes to get his flagship Education Bill through Parliament.

But Ms Kelly insisted that selection had been abolished "once and for all" by Labour. It would be children from disadvantaged backgrounds who would benefit most from the changes, she said.

Appearing before the cross-party House of Commons Education Committee, Ms Kelly said her Schools White Paper was about devolving power to individual schools and helping pupils who are currently "ill-served by the system".

"What it is not about is reintroducing selection," she said. "We abolished once and for all any selection by ability in 1998 in primary legislation.

"There is no way in which that could be reintroduced through the current proposals."

Ms Kelly said there had been "misunderstandings" about provisions in the White Paper dealing with admissions.

The only changes in rules for school admissions would in fact tighten up the system to ensure there was no attempt to operate selection by the back door.

"I think as a result of the measures in the White Paper, we will end up with a system that will target more resources at disadvantaged areas," said Ms Kelly.