A SENIOR Thurrock Conservative has expressed her anger at Labour’s dismissal that looked after children will never attend a grammar school.
Following statements made by two of Thurrock’s Labour leadership team, Thurrock Conservatives’ spokesperson for Children’s Social Care, Cllr Sue Little, said: "Wednesday’s full council saw Labour show their true colours when it comes to looked after children.
"First we had their deputy leader stand up and say ‘show me one child disadvantaged by the current (education) system’, when just a few weeks earlier it was established that Thurrock’s looked after children are not attaining good education grades; then cllr Victoria Holloway clearly states that no looked after child would ever go to a grammar school. These are disgusting statements that need a public apology from Labour, and not their normal response of blaming other political parties, or trying to confuse national politics with those of local issues in the hope of escaping blame."
The statements made by Thurrock Labour members were during a council meeting discussing the merits if having a grammar school annex in Thurrock. The motion was over-whelmingly agreed by the majority opposition Councillors looking to add further education opportunities to all Thurrock’s young people.
Cllr Sue Little said: "Frankly it’s disgraceful that the Labour Cabinet members think it right to verbally exclude looked-after children from opportunities – every child, looked-after or not, should be encouraged to thrive in their schooling, and looked-after children have just as much educational ability to attain a place at a grammar school as their peers.
"Unfortunately Labour seem all to happy to bring everyone down to the lowest possible level to obtain equality rather than trying to support those who will excel and thrive in Thurrock. I hope they have learnt there lesson and they should consider changing their message from looked-after children are not good enough to go to grammar school to everyone is capable, no matter what their background, of achieving in their school careers."
