Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/460/1672
From The Socialist newspaper, 26 October 2006
Furious parents turn on councillors
ON 17 October, over 400 parents, school students and teachers gave the leader of Wokingham District Council and its officers a grilling over the consultation to close Ryeish Green, our local secondary school.
Sara Gillman Reading Socialist Party
No one held back in criticising the council's wish to sell off the land for development (making millions of pounds on the way!). The council have deliberately run down the school to 'demonstrate' that the school's 'falling numbers' mean it will have to close.
The Tory council leader tried to lay on the flannel "that although no decision has yet been made, it is likely that the closure of the school will mean the site will be used for development." However, parents, teachers, governors and school students were not to be patronised.
From the floor, we made the councillors and officers so nervous that they threatened to close the meeting several times unless we could ask 'respectful' questions and behave!
The parent action group already has 3,000 signatures on a petition and has started up a well thought out campaign with regular meetings, publicity and petitions. Socialist Party members have been invited to speak on other campaigns we are involved in to stop school closures elsewhere and how these have moved forward. The campaign group has certainly made the council sit up and listen with councillors shocked at the strength of feeling.
Our leaflets were well received about the Campaign for a New Workers party (CNWP) meeting on 9 November. We will be attending the action group meeting, offering our support and ideas and getting involved as well.
CNWP meeting:
Fight closures, cuts and privatisation. Thursday 9 November 7:30pm. Global Cafe, 30-39 London St Reading. Speaker: Glenn Kelly
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In The Socialist 26 October 2006:
Unite and fight to save the NHS
The battle to defend the health service
How can we build an effective campaign to defend the NHS?
A socialist programme for the NHS
Protests force partial retreat from cuts
Marching for the NHS in Torquay
"Action to defend our birthright"
Sack the bosses not the nurses
Socialist Students
No to attacks on democratic rights
Chilean students fight Pinochet's legacy
Socialism 2006
Workplace analysis
How can the trade unions regain their strength?
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
'Single status' battle continues
How to build a trade union in your workplace
Furious parents turn on councillors
War and terrorism
Bloody chaos in Iraq shatters US war strategy
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