Despite the announcement by Michael Gove over a month ago on the cuts to the Labour Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, in favour of the Tory 'Free School' project, Medway Academies are still none the wiser as to whether they are to receive funding, or indeed whether pupils and staff are to continue for years to come in portacabins and temporary accommodation.
The Strood Academy, Bishop of Rochester Academy and Brompton Academy were all due to be modernised under the Labour Building Schools for the Future programme, which was a funded scheme of £45 billion investment in secondary education.
Concern is now being raised by pupils, parents and teachers of the three schools, especially at Strood Academy, which was guaranteed bespoke modern buildings after the Conservative controlled Council rushed through the merger in 2008/09 between the Temple Boys School and the Chapter Girls School. The new buildings for the Strood Academy were due to be built in 2011.
Strood suffers from some of the poorest social indicators of any wards in the South of England. A savage cut to the aspiration of students will be as a direct result of decisions taken by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Government.
All three local MPs are very much aware of the cuts to front line secondary schools. The success or failure and the judgement of residents will rest upon their ability to lobby for this necessary programme of works.
The ConDem government claims there is no money to fund school re-building programmes, but it is of note that it can still spare the duplication cost of overheads for the 'Free School' initiative, which is privatisation by the back-door of education for children under 11. An initiative that the Kent Conservative Leader, Paul Carter has lambasted as a waste of money and which has no popular mandate from local residents.
This blog has learnt that the delay to the announcement maybe due to the complex and intricate nature of the tender, whereby a single contractor has been used for all three academies in an attempt to reduce cost for each. However, with the three academies at different stages of there respective mergers this initial focus on reducing cost may come back to bite.
The worst possible outcome is the withdrawal of either or any of the three academies as it would leave the tender effectively worthless for the other two. The staff of each must remain firm in the face of threats.
With less the five weeks before the beginning of term it is about time the Conservative Government told the people of Rochester & Strood what is to happen with our three academies.
If they are to be cut then the wrath of parents will descend upon the ruling Conservative administration on the Council who campaigned and leafleted during the election on the pledge there would be no front line cuts to services.
Update - 04/08/2010
It appears that the Conservative Government is playing a game with the future of the three Academies in Medway.
Despite giving assurances to the Council that we would hear news this week on the outcome, the government have now decided to postpone the decision to a later date, likely to be September / October. At which point many of the schools concerned will have started a new term.
This shows the total and utter contempt for pupils and staff who can not plan ahead.
The potential cuts to new school buildings also comes as Tories are salivating over further cuts to front line schools budgets in favour of the ideological 'free school' programme which was recently lambased by Kent Conservative Chief, Paul Carter, who indicated that it will duplicate costs at a time of fiscal constraint.
This is simply unacceptable.
Cllr Les Wicks, the Conservative Education Portfolio holder needs to get a grip on this issue immediately and put pressure on Conservative MPs and Ministers to push this decision up the agenda. He should clearly make a statement to the press and to the schools concerned about what is happening.
Our MPs are apparently lobbying but we have heard precious little from them on what pressure they are putting on the Department for Education.
Make no mistake, this issue is significant and simply brushing the issue under the carpet and delaying is causing concern amongst the schools and most importantly the pupils and staff concerned who quite frankly have to plan ahead.
Update - 06/08/2010
The news from sources that the decision was postponed was incorrect it would seem. The Department for Education released a list of saved BSF programmes today and with welcome news for Medway Acadamies.
The Conservative Government however rushed the BSF cuts and Michael Gove and his judgement on this issue is very much in question. A welcome u-turn but his card is marked.
Update - 04/08/2010
It appears that the Conservative Government is playing a game with the future of the three Academies in Medway.
Despite giving assurances to the Council that we would hear news this week on the outcome, the government have now decided to postpone the decision to a later date, likely to be September / October. At which point many of the schools concerned will have started a new term.
This shows the total and utter contempt for pupils and staff who can not plan ahead.
The potential cuts to new school buildings also comes as Tories are salivating over further cuts to front line schools budgets in favour of the ideological 'free school' programme which was recently lambased by Kent Conservative Chief, Paul Carter, who indicated that it will duplicate costs at a time of fiscal constraint.
This is simply unacceptable.
Cllr Les Wicks, the Conservative Education Portfolio holder needs to get a grip on this issue immediately and put pressure on Conservative MPs and Ministers to push this decision up the agenda. He should clearly make a statement to the press and to the schools concerned about what is happening.
Our MPs are apparently lobbying but we have heard precious little from them on what pressure they are putting on the Department for Education.
Make no mistake, this issue is significant and simply brushing the issue under the carpet and delaying is causing concern amongst the schools and most importantly the pupils and staff concerned who quite frankly have to plan ahead.
Update - 06/08/2010
The news from sources that the decision was postponed was incorrect it would seem. The Department for Education released a list of saved BSF programmes today and with welcome news for Medway Acadamies.
The Conservative Government however rushed the BSF cuts and Michael Gove and his judgement on this issue is very much in question. A welcome u-turn but his card is marked.
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