SOUTH Hams MP Sarah Wollaston has come out in opposition to new Prime Minster Theresa May’s plans for a revival of grammar school education.

In comments made through social media this week, Conservative MP Dr Wollaston said: ‘Trouble is these new schools by definition won’t work for ’everyone’. Having read the education policy consultation document, I won’t be supporting it. Massive destabilising churn and religious segregation, no thanks.’

But Gary Streeter MP for South West Devon remains undecided: ‘I will wait to see the detail. The grammar school policy should not impact our area as we already have them and it works well.’

Theresa May announced earlier this month that she planned to overturn the ban on the creation of new grammar schools, brought in by Tony Blair’s Labour government in 1998.

Mrs May said: ‘For too long we have tolerated a system that contains an arbitrary rule preventing selective schools from being established – sacrificing children’s potential because of dogma and ideology.

‘The truth is that we already have selection in our school system – and it’s selection by house price, selection by wealth. That is simply unfair.’

Under the new plans, any schools wishing to become grammar schools will have to abide by quotas for children from low-income homes. And new grammars will be forced to build a free school, or set-up or sponsor a primary school in a deprived area.

Mrs May has assured critics that ‘there will be no return to the past of mass 11-plus tests.’

Under the plans, currently under government consultation, new faith schools will be allowed to select pupils solely on the basis of their religious background.

Earlier this month, Dr Wollaston commented on social media that she is ‘strongly opposed to 100 per cent faith schools and will be voting against religious segregation of our children.’

‘100 per cent faith schools can have nothing to contribute to a more integrated and cohesive society,’ Dr Wollaston added.

But Mr Streeter is supportive of plans for more faith schools: ‘Church schools are very popular and I am happy to see more of them. We should offer choice to parents but the system must be coherent.’

Mrs May’s plans have delighted senior figures and ‘traditionalists’ within her party. And her supporters have accused fellow Tories of denying working class pupils an academically rigorous state education.

But the Prime Minister is facing growing dissent from others within her party, including Dr Wollaston, senior MPs, the former education secretary, and even some of her own serving ministers.

Earlier this month, a survey of 1,000 parents, conducted by Mumsnet, found that 37 per cent of respondents supported the idea, while 40 per cent were opposed to it. And just under a quarter of respondents, 23 per cent, said that they didn’t know what to think.

We made attempts to contact Dr Wollaston to elaborate on her thoughts this week, but she was unavailable for comment.