Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/511/3429
From The Socialist newspaper, 22 November 2007
Cardiff schools: Parents march against closure threats
IN THE latest stage of Cardiff Liberal council's outrageous school closures programme, Lansdowne Primary School is threatened with closure. Neighbouring primary schools will also be hit as their class sizes are pushed up to accommodate children from Lansdowne.
Ross Saunders, Cardiff Socialist Party
But a well-organised campaign by parents and teachers - starting the day after the plans were announced - has already organised a march to City Hall for 22 November. The protest will also be supported by parents with children in other threatened schools.
Rhodri Morgan, First Minister in the Welsh Assembly and the area's Assembly Member, attended the meeting for parents and campaigners but refused to change the way schools are funded.
At present, the Assembly's per-pupil school payment formula punishes schools for achieving smaller class sizes and the council insists that one local school will have to close.
Uniting parents, school workers and campaigners is crucial for winning this campaign; the council would exploit any divisions to railroad their plans through.
Parents at Ysgol Treganna, the Welsh-medium school which would take over Lansdowne's site under the plans, recognise this. They protested in support of Lansdowne school the day after the plans were announced. Their demand for a new school to ease overcrowding should be supported by all parents.
The campaign to save other schools has also taken off. Parents and teachers at Llanedeyrn High School have organised a campaign to stop the closure.
Steve Williams, a Llanedeyrn parent, said: "The council are trying to save money at the expense of the kids". At the end of the meeting he gathered parents and teachers to fight the closure.
Cardiff Socialist Party members are working to form a co-ordinating committee to unite all the different campaigns and get all schools to oppose the closures.
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In The Socialist 22 November 2007:
Socialist Party NHS campaign
Defend Karen Reissman: Defend free speech and trade union rights
Banking Crisis
Nationalise Northern Rock permanently to safeguard workers' interests
International socialist news and analysis
SOLIDARITY APPEAL: Defend Tukwila Teachers Threatened with Termination for Antiwar Student Walkout
France: massive public sector workers' strike
Socialist Party news and analysis
SNP budget will not satisfy expectations
Detention without trial: Defend civil rights
New attacks on incapacity benefits
'Cheap and nasty' Camden council to shut deaf school
Socialism 2007
Socialism 2007: Inspired by past victories, preparing for future struggles
Education
Support the Northern Ireland classroom assistants
Cardiff schools: Parents march against closure threats
Socialist Party features
Rail transport: Overpriced, overcrowded, underinvested
Train drivers strike in Germany
Labour's pensions - a social time-bomb
International socialist news and analysis
Denmark general election: Socialist People's Party doubles its MPs
GM, Chrysler, and Ford's 'race to the bottom'
Workplace news and analysis
Postal workers campaign against "MacMail"
Doncaster Hospital workers on strike for £9,000 back pay
National Union of Journalists: Standing up against the robber barons
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