May defends grammar school plans, says ‘we’re not going back to the 1950s’

Prime Minister Theresa May has defended her controversial grammar school proposals and insists that it will not be a return to the 1950s education system.

Speaking on the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show, May said that the plans were about ‘ensuring we have good school places for every child’ and not about ‘going back to the system of binary education from the 1950s’.

She also said that the plans will not mean a new grammar school in every town and people wanting to set up a new selective school will be required to show that they are genuinely reaching out into communities and working to give opportunities to young people from poorer backgrounds.

She said: "There will be different types of schools providing education and we want the education that is right for every child. What I've always said throughout my political career… is we want the education that is right for every child

"We'll be saying to grammar schools and people who want to set up a new selective school, actually if you're doing that we will want you to show that you are genuinely reaching out across society in giving those opportunities to young people."