Ed Balls at St Peter's School, Rochester supporting parents at a school threatened by the Conservatives
Education is back on the agenda for full Council this week after a glut of stories highlighting the gross incompetence of the current Tory administration - and in particular portfolio holder Cllr Les Wick's - in managing Medway’s schools.
The Tory administration has shown an appalling level of ineptitude across the board with serious implications for the education and future of Medway’s children. Medway tax payers have had to pay through the teeth for fiasco after fiasco.
The recent Woodlands School fiasco detailed of late in local newspapers, comes on top of significant cuts announced to school staff such as teaching assistants, and a U-turn from the administration on future pupil numbers and school capacity requirements.
Plans have now been revealed for additional schools to be built in Chatham and Rochester, as a growing birth rate is expected to lead to a shortfall in available school places based on current provision. This, despite the closure of Ridge Meadow School, and the amalgamation others only a year ago, which reduced available places.
Given that Labour members - alongside parents, teachers, and local communities - consistently challenged the logic of closing successful schools at the time, it now seems clear the Tories simply failed to listen. The administration failed to take account of clear statistical evidence that foresaw the shortfall in places we now see, and could have avoided this costly error in closing schools only to need new ones a year down the line.
The Labour group thus demands answers from the Tory spokesperson, Cllr Les Wicks, on the legitimacy of the figures used in schools planning, and the rationale behind what now appears to be wasteful and unnecessary school closures. Labour councillors highlights a need for clear and open debate on the problems in Medway's schools, and implore the Tory administration to allow this to occur
In 2009/2010, local residents fought a campaign to oppose the Conservative Party cuts agenda to local schools and successfully campaigned with parents and pupils to reverse the policy which was based on flawed data.
The Tory incompetence can not be allowed to continue because our children deserve better.
Something must be done urgently and those responsible should reflect on whether they can really fix or whether they are the problem.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar