Argument against 11-plus system is flawed

With reference to your article about grammar schools (The Yorkshire Post, November 21) and their number, unless the grammar school I went to, Hipperholme Grammar School (boys’ grammar school when I was there) has closed down – which it has not – there must be at least seven grammar schools in Yorkshire.

Getting to my point, all the articles I have read about the merits or otherwise of grammar schools constantly state that it is wrong to decide a child’s fate at the age of 11 years.

This is not the case. I took and passed my 11-plus and got a scholarship to go to grammar school at the age of 11.

Students who did not went onto county schools but this was not the end of the matter.

The ones who did well at county schools got a second chance at 13 years of age to sit the 11-plus again and a good number joined Hipperholme after half term holidays.

I am not joining the argument as to whether more grammar schools should be opened or 
the remaining ones closed (although it should be easy to guess my views), but it is time that the untrue argument 
that future lives are compromised at the age of 11 stops being used as a reason 
to shut them down.