Labour governments of Britain and New South Wales support specialist schools

The Labour governments of both the United Kingdom and New South Wales are looking to reform secondary education by giving more emphasis to selective and specialist schools.

With the thinking that students flourish best when surrounded by peers of their own level and ability - and that one-size-fits-all 'comprehensives' have not been successful - both administrations are allowing more schools that select pupils and offer specialist courses.

In Australia, secondary schools that choose pupils on the basis of relevant skills are becoming increasingly popular, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported.

New South Wales, in particular, has embraced the selective school system. In 1988 there were 12 selective high schools, including five with a specialist bent such as agriculture or music, out of 381 government high schools in the state. By 2002 there were 28 academically selective or partially selective high schools, two performing arts schools and 30 specialist schools that selected some students.

In the UK, the government is aiming to have 75 percent of secondary schools specialist. The government's target is to have 2000 specialist schools by 2006 (from 1954 today).

The programme is a key part of the government's effort to raise standards. It says children at specialist schools do better than those in other secondary schools. Some top-performing state schools are to be allowed to adopt what is termed as 'independent specialist status'.

They will be free to select up to 10 percent of their pupils on the basis of aptitude and to attract funds from both the private sector and parents.

In addition, Education Secretary Charles Clarke recently announced a plan where the state will pay private schools to teach state sector pupils wanting to study seldom-taught subjects.

The Sydney Morning Herald story.

A BBC story on specialist schools.

A Hoover Institution-published article on streaming.