Letter from Dr Philip Hunter, Chief Schools
Adjudicator to the Chairman of the Committee (SA 54)
LONDON SCHOOLS ADMISSION SYSTEM
Dr Ian Birnbaum has sent me a copy of his letter
to you dated 5 March.[7]
I cannot recall exactly what I said when I met
your Committee but I think it was:
(i) the admissions in London needs reform and I was sure
the people involved are doing the right thing; and
(ii) any big system of the kind proposed is likely to
go wrong at some stage and I did not think this one would be an
exception. Hence, I hoped the organisers are making contingency
plans for when it does go wrong.
I am delighted to see from Ian's letter that
he and his colleagues have taken on board my second point. In
particular, I was pleased to note that the local systems in London
can be free standing so that a failure in one of them does not
bring down the whole edifice. I am sure there will be considerable
benefits from the new system and Ian and his colleagues are to
be congratulated on their initiative.
I think I also went on to say that it would
be a mistake to extend the London system to the rest of the country.
I remain convinced of this. There are a number of different systems
being developed in various places and I am sure that is right.
We have suffered enough from people solving London problems and
imposing that solution on the rest of us.
I hope this is helpful.
March 2004
7 Note: See Ev 107 (SA 53). Back
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