New school admissions code and twins

I was surprised to read in the Guardian that the draft, new school admissions code includes the guidance that:

"Schools must give priority to children whose parents are in the armed forces, as well as children in care, and ensure twins and triplets are in the same class."
Don't rely on school place lotteries, local authorities are told The Guardian, 27 May 2011

 I've always felt that twins do better if they are in different classes at school but I know that this can depend on twins individual needs. According to a  Twins and Multiple Births Association (TAMBA) report 20% of multiple birth children starting school are allocated to classes (either together or apart) without any consultation with parents. Amazingly around 1% of multiple birth children starting school are offered places in different schools. This equates to almost 200 children per year (The Educational Needs and Experiences of Multiple Birth Children TAMBA 2009)

The new admissions code will allow twins and triplets to be admitted to an infant class

"even if it takes the class over the 30-child limit" DfE Press notice 27th May 2011

so there should be no reason for twins or triplets to be split between different schools. The chief executive of TAMBA,  Keith Reed, says

"We are delighted that the new Government has taken on board our suggestion to add twins and multiple-birth children to the list of infant class size exceptions." ,

Both of my sets of twins started primary school, and secondary school in different classes. Next year my sixteen year old twins are going one step further and have chosen to go to different sixth form colleges. The logistics of them travelling in different directions every day will be a challenge but they have each chosen the course and college that is best for them.

Marilyn French: the author whose novel did change lives

How sad to read in the Guardian today that Marilyn French had died [obituary]. I looked out my battered copy of the 'The Women's Room'. It was easy to find between a copy of a novel by Micheal Frayn which I don't remember ever reading, and my collection of Stephen Fry novels and autobiographies. Like Kate Mosse (Guardian G2 tribute article), I first read 'The Women's Room' as an undergraduate and some of its messages have stayed with me and to a certain extent shaped my life. Mira, the central character of the novel, chooses to pursue her own academic career rather than accept the inevitable compromises of following her academic boyfriend. The ending is a very poignant picture of a solitary female academic watching a noisy family on the beach, the family of her erstwhile boyfriend. I made the opposite decision; my husband's academic career continues to prosper, I've followed him across three continents and we have a very noisy family of teenagers. I don't have any regrets 25 years after I made that first decision to follow my heart rather than my academic calling.