CAMPAIGNERS IN Nottingham and London have organised protests this
weekend against local attacks on education.
In Nottingham, parents, pupils and staff are angry at the City
Council’s announcement of a major reorganisation of its schools,
including building three city academies and closing several primary,
secondary and special schools.
Jean Thorpe reports
THE COUNCIL’S announcement comes just as Blair’s city academies have
been discredited nationally. Unity Academy in Middlesbrough recently
failed its inspection. In March 2005, in tables on 14-year-olds’
results, nine of the eleven academies were in the 200 bottom schools in
England.
The House of Commons Select Committee found academies are far more
expensive than non-academy schools. It also noted the poor results and
called for a proper evaluation of academies before a full roll-out of
the new schools.
In Nottingham the Djanogly Academy has approached Haywood School
(which the council threatens with closure) for advice on behaviour
management because of discipline problems!
Ian Tongue, parent governor at Haywood, told the socialist:
"The council blame the closures on falling numbers and lack of
a suitable site to rebuild. But the high numbers of children going to
county schools could be attracted back. A survey of 130 primary
parents in the main feeder schools showed 98% would send their child
to the local school if it had good GCSE results and a good reputation."The council is not looking at the school’s long-term
viability and the enormous damage to the local community and local
economy if it closes."Our campaign has had local stalls each Saturday. We have done
street canvassing and had over 2,000 unique visitors to our website.
We have secured overwhelming support from ex pupils, contacting them
via Friends Reunited. We have made a video which we are taking round
to councillors on the executive board. You can visit our website at: www.savehaywoodschool.co.uk
"
Michelle Batchelor from the Stanstead Action Campaign also told
the socialist:
"We are fighting to save our small primary school which has a
number of traveller children attending. The parents and children are
accepted and welcomed in the school and have experiences of being
bullied and persecuted in other schools."In our consultation over 90% of parents objected to closure
but the council still voted it through. We’re in touch with the other
school campaigns and we’re trying to link the campaigns into a
city-wide one."
