​The Department for Education needs to provide evidence to match its rhetoric over grammar schools, to allow a proper debate to take place, according to Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green, former children’s commissioner for England.

In an interview with TES, he said: “I’d like to see the evidence. Part of the difficulty is that people produce comments based on their anecdotal experience.

“My own background is support for having had a springboard from a grammar school but ongoing concern about how we look after those who can’t get to grammar school.”

He added: “You could argue that the very best environment is to have a superb comprehensive school where every child is identified and their needs are looked after.”

Asked for his views on the government’s proposals to expand grammar schools, Sir Al said: “The devil is in the detail and I would like to see exactly what the proposition is…what I would like to see is a sensible debate based on evidence and based on looking at what is best in other countries.”

The respected expert on children’s wellbeing made a speech last week in which he accused the government of having “short-term, inconsistent and untrustworthy” policies that are letting down young people.

‘What are we trying to achieve?’

The debate over the government’s drive to expand grammar schools reignited today, after Justine Greening was heckled during her speech at the Association of School and College Leaders’ annual conference last week.

Sir Al, professor emeritus of child health at University College London, who received a knighthood in 2006 for services to children and young people, said: “I’m trying to get a sensible debate, leaving the political, ideological bags at the door if we possibly can. Easy to say and difficult to do.”

Attitudes towards different forms of education need to change, according to Sir Al. Commenting on technical academies, he said: “It’s been a bit disappointing to find that many parents are not too keen to send their kids to these schools…We have become so hooked up on higher education - ie, universities - that we’ve lost sight of the fact that not every child is best suited by going to that kind of environment.”

Questions over funding should be informed by the wider issue of what sort of education children should have, he said. “I’m not sure that money by itself is necessarily the answer. What are we trying to achieve for our children? That should drive education and the funding that goes with it,” argued Sir Al.

He added: “One of my real concerns is that there is no overall vision coming from the politicians of what they want to achieve for our children.”

The Department for Education had not responded to a request for comment at the time of writing.

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