ES MONDAY FEBRUARY 3 1992 JAMES GRAY Minister backs wider choice Abductor linked TODAY IN THE TIMES to food GETTING AWAY poison threats m&K- m** - By Craig Seton &*+ ~ .. * *#:- * POLICE are investigating whether the kidnapper of mi=T.r^ Europe, Asia, grammar school Stephanie Slater could be a America., faffed “consumer terrorist” MM •> wherever the who tried to exton money by in By threatening world want to 4tew John O leary, higher education correspondent to contaminate you supermarket food. * a«~ -*r go, a friend can THE Conservative party schools could reappear would lead to the re-emer- Tom Cook, head of a joint 9k -r- fly free and stay sprung a pre-election sur- throughout the counby, as gence of grammar schools: police investigation into the fa> t*C*. free with the six prise yesterday by signal- long as there were not too Jack Straw. Labour's educa- abduction of Miss Slater and Times privilege ling the return of gram- mapy in each area. tion spokesman, said: “The the murder last year of Julie He has always opposed a Conservatives are paralysed Dan, said yesterday tokens being mar schools as part of a that pos- return to the mix ofgrammar on this issue because they sible links were being exam- more diverse state educa- published earn * and secondary, modern know that the remtraduction ' ined with seven or eight faffed tion system. I’ day this week. ..'.SV* ' schools created by the 1944 of selection at 11 is not want- d> attempts at extortion involv- In a significant shift of l Collect the second Education Act, arid he reiter- ed by the majority of parents. ing demands for up to direction, Kenneth Clarke, ItSr** ated that he would not con- It shows how bankrupt Mr £200,000 over the past two one today the education secretaxy, template a two-tier system. Clarke’s approach to educa- years. Life & Times said he would have “no Almost 150 grammar schools tion is that the only new idea Mr Cook, assistant chief section, problem" with one grant- page 6 are left in England and he can come up with was constable of West Yorkshire, maintained school in 10 Wales, but others wanting to discarded by Margaret That- whose force is working with becoming a grammar select pupils on academic cher years ago." West Midlands police on the school. 20 *4* ability need the education sec- The National Union . of kidnapping, also confirmed FERAL CAR More than 2,000 local au- retary’s permission. Teachers said that grammar that the enquiry was studying thority schools are expected to Mr Clarke said: “I have no schools prevented many chil- other possible links with an consider opting out. giving objection to the re-emergence dren fulfillin their potential. attempt to blackmail British them the opportunity to apply g of grammar schools, if that is “The governments instinct Rail late last year. A demand to become grammar schools, what parents want ... Par- seems always to be to ignore was delivered to BR's London if the Conservatives win the ents wQl decide, schools will the faces and act on their headquarters threatening to - general election. Mr Clarke MW» decide. I am responding to prejudices.” sabotage a passenger used the BBCs On The train their demands as they set out David Hart, general secre- unless money was paid. Scot- *** * Record programme to pla- the separate characteristics tary of the National Associ- land Yard said yesterday that ’s cate Tory hardliners, who they want to adopt” ation of Head Teachers, said the regional crime squad had have been pressing for a re- The stigma attached to sec- that he doubted grant-main- launched Operation Orient Low-slung, lithe, turn to selective education. ondary modern schools tained schools would when the blackmail demand wild — and that’s He indicated that grammar demand would be avoided through the selection. “This is diametri- was received, but gave no just the growth of technological cally opposed to what the vast further details. metahvoric schools and others with dif- majority of grant-maintained Possible links with other Stephen Bayley #f. WW-vT ferent specialisms. “We have school heads are saying to attempts to extort money * got to gk away from the idea me." have widened the hum for compares me Avalanches that the only good education Mr Clarke was at the centre Miss Slater's kidnapper, who design of the new is an academic education, of a second controversy yes- escaped with £175,000 last Jaguar XJ220 and the only good qualifica- terday when Mr Straw called Wednesday night before free- with its renowned claim 300 tion is an academic one.” for an enquiry into his han- ing her after she had been predecessors Up to 300 people were Robert Baldiin. chairman dling of the government’s ex- held foreight days. Detectives feared dead last night after of the Gram Maintained amination of primary school are almost certain that he is life & Times ***<» ,**M. a series of avalanches in the who abducted - Schools’ Trust said that few teaching. Professor Robin Al- The Queen at West Newton church, near Sandringham, where she was given man Miss section, page 1 •*.£«. j I Turkey’s three eastern Dart, aged 18, from a street of die schools opting out were exander, of Leeds University, i flowers yesterday to mark the 40th anniversary on Thursday of her accession provinces at the weekend. aiming to become selective, who led the “three wise men" in Leeds last July. She was Rescuers I found 142 bod- but between 5 and 10 per who reported last month, said found strangled 10 days later. ies. RIFF KING ! mostly from a single cent might do so under a new his report had been hijacked Miss Dart’s murderer de- •* i iMfc* V. i village which disappeared Tory government "A school by politicians and misinter- manded a ransom of v-mi cries i conspiracy over drifts, Labour under and another builds, up a specific kind of preted the media. £140,000 and threatened to • .mm.-. by 150 people were missing MFj* »- } ethos, arid some children will MrStrawcast doubt on the 5 take more hostages. In one of i last night Page 16 not be suited to that particu- role played by Mr Clarke and many letters sent to West ‘Kremlin Yorkshire police, he also it Kinnock is smear lar ethos, so right that Chris Woodhead. chiefexecu- threat i Habashplea they should not go there." tive of the National Curricu- made a to firebomb a by Nicholas wood, political correspondent Both government critics lum Council and one of the supermarket in Coventry. i The French government and supporters have seen se- enquiry team. “We need to Mr Cook said yesterday I was asked yesterday to NEIL Kinnock was yesterday the Cold War. Roy H al- defenders of Stalingrad. Ar- that although Miss Slater apologise for detaining lection as a logical outcome of know more about claims that at the centre of a political ters! ey, Labour's deputy lead- thur ScargflL the miners' { the reforms now before Par- Chris Woodhead was the had given police a description j George Habash, leader of dogfight over his altitudes er, accused Mr Meflor of leader, had shown himself a Sober-suited, liament League tables of voice of Mr Clarice on the of the man, they had not yet 1 the Popular Front for the during the early 1980s to- haidng called into question poor general Mr Kinnock understated, Eric schools’ results are likely enquiry." issued a photofit or artist's liberation of Palestine, to Soviet Mr Kinnock’s patriotism, allegedly said. | wards the Union and Clapton took the encourage head teachers to party yesterday impression because it was vi- The from said that his • The Labour the miners’ strike after news- and challenged Chris Patten, David HAL Labour's com- j tal that it should stage for the first seek the most able pupils to that it would let be highly, ! promised detention and questioning paper publication of Kremlin the Tory party chairman, to munications director, got improve their rating. Muslim schools for vol- accurate. Miss Slater was night of this ! during a visit for medical apply disown the Treasury chief wind of the story on Friday files allegedly detailing his blindfolded in captivity. ‘ treatment was “a of Lord Griffiths of Fforest- untary-aided status. Derek swift pre- season’s solo mark views. secretary. and launched a fach, chairman of the School Fatchett. a Labour education “We would hope to be fin- i disgrace" Page 10 ill-tempered exchanges emptive strike against a As Labour raised the profile In Examinations and Assess- spokesman, said on BBC ished and have a photofit Leading article; page 13 on BBC Radio 4’s The World “smear" story involving collu- Life Times give of the affair by accusing John available by the middle of this & ment Council, said: “I think Radio: "We wifi a greater This Weekend. Patten re- sion between Conservative of giving the go-ahead Mr week,” section, that if you give parents real cultural reference in all our Major Mr Cook said. page 2 Terror tax jected Mr Hanersley’s inter- Central Office and its sup- j for the dirtiest election choice in the system, it is schools and I think maybe cam- pretation, saying that it was porters in the press. • The Inland Revenue is to paign of the century, David Threat to train, page 3 inevitable that the schools weT treat mucb more sympa- In the face of denials allow companies in North- Mr Kinnock’s judgment, not tty \ wfl] demand to choose the thetically any applications MeDor infuriated its leaders 1 his patriotism, that had been Andrew Neil, editor of The em I reland to claim protec- kind of pupils that come." that are forthcoming." further by saying that the files paid called into question by the Sunday Times, Gerald Kauf- 1 lion money to terror- underlined their “craven and Opposition parties and raised the stakes yester- ists as a tax-deductible report in The Sunday Times.