If it weren't for having the opportunity to take the 11+, which I then passed, I would have had to go to one of the local schools. There was a very good comprehensive near where I lived, however I was out of the catchment area, so didn't have a chance of getting in. Having now had to attend a comprehensive for 6th form due to moving, I am thankful for grammar schools. At my new school the teachers are pleased if you turn up for the lesson, and if you manage to scrape a C, it is a joyous event. This is not what school should be about. Every child should be pushed towards achieving their potential, and for the more academically able children, this is exactly what grammar schools provide. Mr Cameron had a priviledged upbringing and education, and the majority of people do not have that good fortune. Who is he to take the opportunity to receive the best education away from the next generation of students?

N.Rose, Plymouth, Devon

Grammar schools are all about privileging children who passed a none too brilliantly conceived test when aged 11.

Judging by what I have read above, being Conservative means being privileged - I am disgusted.

Equality of opportunity does not equate to Grammar schools with selection at aged 11. If you think it does you had better go and meet those people I know who are very bitter that they only just failed the 11 plus 40 years ago, and got separated from their friends, no more intelligent, who only just passed. They were severely disadvantaged, for their whole lives, unfairly.

If this is a system that you want, you are immoral, and unpleasant. Selfish, whatever. Definitely not fairminded people.

We do not have to be selfish. We can be a whole lot more intelligent. Cameron is headed in the right direction. I have joined the Tory party because of him.

George Tayloy, Oxford, UK

Mr Willetts is wrong. The Grammar school system enables far more children from modest backgrounds to attend academically successful schools and moreover to attain academic success at the highest levels. One only has to look at oxbridge undergraduates; very few are from comprehensives, a large proportion of state school oxbridge entrants are from the few and far between state grammar schools that have survived. Mr. Cameron should wake up and realise that education was the one area his party had far better policies on than the labour government, until now. Mr. Brady is in the difficult position of defending all the schools in his educationally proud constituency.

Jenny Kumeta, Manchester, UK

The argument that Grammar Schools are only open to the middle classes is surely a baseless argument when you consider that the entrance criteria is based upon academic ability not social status. Not everyone is capable of passing these exams, regardless of social background, and it seems disingenuous to hold back the capable because it may upset those who lack the required capacity. It is time to accept the argument, which society seems to be avoiding, not everyone can be a brain surgeon, doctor, engineer, scientist, etc. At what stage do we allow people to be selected due to intellectual capacity? Just as importantly, at what point do we decide to ensure that the capable are allowed to be given the opportunity to achieve their true potential without being held back by the less capable?

MRL, Southampton,

Reshuffling has no benefit to any party. It causes more disruption than stability. Mr Graham Brady should remain as the Conservative's Europe Spokesman and have his say in in Parliment for balanced debate. .

Stephen Milner, Dorchester, UK

"Tory resigns after grammer school row" --- such a headline in the Times is a case against comprehensives.

Dagmar Alpen, Cologne, Germany

Selection is a disastrous process - it damages those who do not get selected.

The intelligent thing to do is to provide a variety of types of education - and let people choose. In Denmark they used to give you a choice - of an academic school or a trade school - when you were about 14.

Both were very good. If the child wanted to become a craftsman or a tradesman - and plenty did - they chose the craft school.

You should note that choosing to be a carpenter in Denmark was not a two minute process - and 5 years into your trade you would be making more money than an architect.

Until Grammar schools can be chosen freely - and I see no reason why they should not be, if there are enough of them - I am against them. The selection process is the problem - a very big problem to children who want to go, but cannot.

Cameron is right - the rest of you are supporters of a system that divides, and privileges some, and disadvantages the rest. Which is immoral.

George Taylor, Oxford, UK

I completed my grammar school education in 1997. Ever since then I've been extremely grateful for the opportunities attending a grammar school has given me. I agree completely with R Todd's comment stating that we will never 'produce equality ... in any society'. Throughout ones education one is assessed with competitive examinations, the point of which is to differentiate competencies between individuals. I now work at a comprehensive school. I have exceptionally gifted students and also students at the other end of the spectrum. Often in the same class. Lessons must be tailored to fit the majority of students in this class. With this method those at both ends will suffer, not receiving the level of education fitting to them and not being able to differentiate their respective skills through their exam results. Grammar schools help alleviate this.

D Todd, Peterborough,

"...the chance of an able child from a modest background getting to an academically successful school, whatever their type, is low.”

Does anybody else find this a rather spurious generalisation? I owe my entire academic career, past and future, to the grammar school that paid my fees since I was eight years old. I hope that one day I will be able to repay my debt to it - that is, if the Tories haven't rased it to the ground...

Katie Schofield, Cambridge, UK

Since 1945 educational policy has been hijacked to serve so many different purposes that today it is very hard for people to see what education is for.

We really face a two-stage process if we want to improve education. First we have to establish a consensus that education is about giving each child the best and most challenging teaching that he or she can take advantage of.

Only then, when we cut through all the false arguments about fairness and social justice, can we get back to running education for education's sake.

Education is competitive because children have different abilities. We don't actually know at present if we can educate each child to the extent of their abilities, and we won't find out if we can until we abandon false ideas of emphasising "fairness" over results. We don't make elite soccer players wear a ball and chain in the interests of fairness, and we should not hamper bright children either.

jon livesey, Sunnyvale, CA/US

The Conservatives have not changed what so ever. I am a Conservative supporter, and this Tory Leader "say anything, make a policy up, look nice" is a joke. The Conservatives have lost the plot. I have always voted Conservative since i was 18, 20 years on, i shall be voting a different way. The sooner you get rid of Cameron the better, hes a waste of space, bring back Thatcher. For the time being I will be voting UKIP. They seem to be a vote worth giving. I urge people people to leave the Conservatives or vote differently and as a protest vote go UKIP, once Cameron has gone, go back to the Conservatives. For the sake of the Conservative party, give this Toff the boot, hes a Liberal than a Conservative.

Greg Williams

Greg Williams, Colchester, Essex

Here, here Martin Pearman! Why is this point not made more often?

John Waters, Berwick-upon-Tweed, UK

First Patrick Mercer now Graham Brady. I am unable to support the Conservative party for the first time in my life.

Bartle, Chichester, Sussex

First the truth from Mr Mercer, now the truth from Mr Brady.

And theyve been sacked. Mr cameron has just dealt the Conservative party its death blow before any election.

What do they stand for ? What does ANY political party stand for anymore ?

If anyone can tell me, because i'd be most grateful.

Is the ability to tell the truth about Britain, and act like a real MP ,now out of the remit of all political parties in the UK ?

The political landscape in this country has become a sad joke.

Dave D, Lincoln, UK

The most damaging aspects of Cameron's approach to Grammer School are:

The top down approach to policy, no policy review, no all party debate, I'm leader and thats it.

It is illogical to condem Grammer Schools for entrenching middle class advantage, surely if this is so existing ones should be phased out if not closed.

The attack on parental aspirations, Cameron should not be talking about children from disadvantaged backgrounds but, about parents who have no ambitions and aspirations for their children. I would add that these are not restricted to the middle classes, by and large the working class parents also have the strong desire for their children to 'get on' through education and are equally prepared to sacrfice to achieve that aim.

I contend that parental ambition and aspiration is more important than even the school. A well motivated child will succeed in any school good or bad, whereas a poorly motivated one will fail in any school good or bad.

Anthony Jaynes, Alton, UK

Clearly Windmill Dave won't allow facts to get in the way of his idealogical brainstorming. If he thinks the issue of academic selection has been settled I hope that there are enough Conservatives to give him and his coterie of sycophantic advisers a sufficiently rough ride to force a change of policy. Here is one vote that he won't get if the policy does not change and I doubt that I am alone.

Anthony Back, Wellington, Telford, England

TONY SAID EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION
are we now cloning MPS surely other things are more important now like a manifesto.

george william taylor, hull, uk

"“effectively a ‘grammar stream’ in every subject in every school”

This is a terrible con trick. Cameron does not plan to create a set of grammar-level in every subject in every school, but to simply rearrange the existing classes by ability and then rename the top-set as the 'grammar stream'.

In short, if a school has two maths classes of 30 kids, and only 5 of grammar level, they will still find themselves as the minority in a class with 25 other kids of below grammar level.

No new teachers, no new classes, just a rebranding exercise that leaves the grammar ability children no better off.

Chad Noble, London,

Cameron has taken the wrong turning here. Selection for Grammar Schools worked fine in my day. The main reason for that was that early years schooling and parenting were of reasonable quality. Scholarships provided low-earning families with an opportunity for their bright child to get a good education.
The education system has become a poor thing, having been watered down so that no one is seen to fail. Britain was built on a more robust pattern and we will continue to regress as a nation unless we return to earlier values.

Alan, Llanerchymedd, Wales

Cameron has to sack Conservatives like Mercer and Brady in order to get rid of Conservative voters hindering his hopes to merge with Liberal Democrats and end up to the left of Labour. We are seeing role-reversal and the Tories heading for a worse defeat than 1997

Observer, Peterborough, England

I am sorry that Cameron in his vindictiveness sees fit to "sack" Brady. Is there any way I can help to bring about the sacking of Cameron? We will shortly be seeing the back of one posturer, Blair, now we are stuck with another. I can safely say that since he became "leader" of my party he has not addressed a single issue of the many which worry me.

Murdo F, Aberdeen,

Martin Pearman should correct one fact in his letter; independent schools do not select only on the ability to pay. As a glance at the Eton College website demonstrates, you have to pass an entrance exam. Except, maybe, if your granny is the Queen. Just remind me, didn't David Cameron say he was against academic selection? Alright for the nobs, but not for the oiks is it David?

As for Willettts; I might not be the greatest shakes at maths but even I can work out that your chances of getting in to an academically successful school if you have a modest background are significantly increased if there is actually a grammar school in the area to get in to. The chances are precisely zero is there isn't one. What kind of 'serious educational researchers' is he using?

V Samuel, Cambr,

You will never ever produce equality and fairness in any society, and it would be a bad thing for society if you did. Why is there this perceived need to do so? People from so called disadvantaged backgrounds who have the ability and courage to fight through and attain a position of influence are often the mainstay of our society, they have the tenacity, they have the guts, they have the experience of a particular kind of life which is not experienced by others more fortunate. So long as such people have the opportunity to get into the grammar schools, grammar schools should be encouraged. You have raised in me serious misgivings, Mr Cameron. You have had an advantaged background, which some people mock. I hope that you are not reacting by being too keen to portray yourself as the caring future p.m. This is the first time I have had serious doubts in you, and I confess to being worried.

Richard Todd, Windermere, Cumbria

The fundamental problems with English education (I know nothing about the position in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) are that it is uneven across the country and horribly divisive. There are inequalities stemming from social status (the richer buying educatrion from posh schools while most of the herd take pot luck in the state system. There are inequalities stemming from very variable standards of expectation and professional delivery. There are also inequalities and division fostered by so-called "faith schools" that isolate children of various religious persuasions. The state can address some of these problems by removing charitable status from so-called "public" schools and by withdrawing all support from religious schools that simply divide children from the community as a whole. It can also lay down more precisely what can properly be expected of teachers and puipils, and make sure that teachers who don't deliver proper academic standards don't stay too long in postl

M Bailey, London, UK

As a Conservative member, I have resigned from the party because of my strong beliefs in grammar schools.
How many more people have the same feelings in the party?

PETER LEIGHS, FRADSWELL,STAFFS, UK