Many of Corbyn’s MPs would agree with that.
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Struggling to explain the need for new grammars, May resorted to platitudes (“what we need is a good school for every child”). That is exactly what our policy is about. But today, they gave their leader a better reception than at any time since the European Union referendum.
She said 1.25 million pupils were now in schools which were “failing, inadequate or in need of improvement” and the plans – allied to the expansion of faith schools and more obligations on private schools – would give every child the high-quality education they deserved to enable them to go as far as their talents allowed.
“It is members of the Labour party who will take the advantages of good education for themselves and pull up the ladder behind them for other people”.
During exchanges at Prime Minister’s Questions, Mrs May defended plans for more grammar schools and to allow existing state-funded schools to select pupils on the basis of academic ability.
But Mr Corbyn said: “We should never have a system that divides children at the age of 11”.
The Labour leader noted Sir Michael described the idea that the poor will benefit from a return to grammar schools as “palpable tosh and nonsense”.
“He went to a grammar school, I went to a grammar school”.
She added to Mr Corbyn: “You have opposed every measure that we have introduced to improve the quality of education in this country”. She swerved a question on feeder schools and failed to name one “expert” who backed her proposals when pressed. “Theresa May has made a serious misjudgement on grammar schools”.
But Mr Corbyn received no answers as Mrs May stuck to her line of the reforms offering “more opportunities” for children.
She jibed: “He went to a grammar school, I went to a grammar school – it’s what got us to where we are today”.
“My point is simply this”. When May replied that she wanted a society with “opportunity for all”, Corbyn snapped back that “equality of opportunity is not segregating children at age eleven”.
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Despite being Mr Corbyn’s most impressive appearance in the year he’s been leader of the opposition, it’s possible today’s session could be his last. Last week, Labour MPs despaired as Jeremy Corbyn failed to raise grammar schools at PMQs.
