THE elected county representative for Skipton's two grammar schools has asked for an urgent scrutiny of selection procedures.

Mike Doyle, whose Skipton West ward includes Ermysted's Grammar and Skipton Girls' High Schools, wants the way children are selected to be reviewed.

Pupils in year six of primary schools are due to take selection tests later this year but there is a growing concern about the validity of the method used by North Yorkshire to select pupils for the grammar schools.

Earlier this year, following complaints from 10 parents, the Local Government Ombudsman intervened and the education authority offered a second appeal to parents of more than 40 children.

The parents contested that there was overwhelming evidence that coaching and practice had a significant effect on the test results but the education authority claimed the effect was negligible.

The tests are set by an organisation called NFER, and copies of its new book Tests for 11 Plus Preparation are selling heavily in Skipton book shops.

Parents and primary head teachers have argued that the chances of children who do not buy the book and practice the tests are seriously prejudiced, thus producing a selection system which benefits richer parents.

Coun Doyle is calling for the county council's new Education Scrutiny Committee to "call in" the selection system.

"It appears to me that the LEA procedures are highly obsolete when evaluated against current legislation and the trend of recent legal case law," said Coun Doyle in a letter to scrutiny committee chairman Ken Hull. "In particular they take a paternalistic and value laden approach when current trends are to parental evaluation and choice."

He added: "The question of coaching is a major concern. Neither the local education authority nor its contractor NFER-Nelson has produced evidence to counter the assertion that coaching, as opposed to limited practice, will not have a significant effect on performance.

"That they sell test papers commercially and the terms in which they promote the benefits of these materials would appear to support parental assertions that those who are willing to spend £20 on practice materials will gain significant advantage."

The education authority is already under pressure to consider changes.

The Ombudsman's final report is expected to be critical of procedures and at Ermysted's speech day the school's chairman of governors, Roger Whittaker, called for changes to the system.