Posted by andybolger on February 27, 2011 at 01:23:47 user beardbiter.
In Reply to: Re: English versus American usage posted by Mike Dennis on February 27, 2011 at 00:28:37:
Dave, apologies for y heavy handed irony. It's just that grammar schools have been one the most contentious topics in post-war British political discourse. When people start arguing about selective education and grammar schools they can bring in all sorts of pet theories about class, tradition, merit, nature v nurture etc etc. Better still, disputants can indulge in all sorts of rants about what they imagine other people's pet theories to be. A bit like the controversy about busing in America, perhaps.
Anyway, grammar schools were for those who passed the eleven plus exam, secondary modern schools were for those who didn't. Grammar schools often took over older schools that had been founded by local initiatives or endowed by charitable benefactors. Often these were called 'high schools' but I don't think there was ever an official, generally understood definition of a 'high school'.
As for county secondary school, the new (in 1945) local education authorities were run by counties in country areas, hence 'county secondary school'