Author: Standards-Not-Tiers
Conservative Party Policy Ignored as Pugh and Wells Seek to Destroy Island Education System
Wednesday, 23rd January, 2008 at 4:44 pm, Isle of Wight
Standards Not Tiers, now in their 4th year as a campaign group, have learned that plans by David Pugh and Alan Wells to close many small rural primary schools, are not only alientating their local party members but are in direct conflict with Conservative party policy on education.
Chris Welsford, Chairman of Standards Not Tiers said: “Team Pugh-Wells must have missed the publication of the Conservative green paper in November last year. Their plans seem to have ignored their own party’s political lead on this. Maybe they are about to form their own breakaway party, in another country hopefully!
“The green paper is clearly states that they are in favour of allowing ’smaller schools and more intimate learning environments to be established to respond to parental demands’. It goes on to state that, ‘Parents need to feel that they have a stronger bond with their child’s education and the school community. We want to help every parent be actively involved with their child’s education, making it easier to work effectively with the school to provide the best opportunities’. The Pugh-Wells Plan will have the opposite effect”
Debbie Hart, Campaign Coordinator for the group said: “The council’s plans will reduce parental involvement in their childrens education, not strengthen it. Involvement is strongest in Primary Schools and Middle Schools but reduces considerably when young people arrive at High School. Local schools where parents can walk their children to school and maintain close links with their childrens education is key to higher standards. It is a fact that children whose parents are interested and involved in their education do better at school. We need to be making it easier for parents to engage, not harder!”
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Re the schools debate;
The Island Green Party says that smaller school rolls are an opportunity not a problem ! Smaller classes are better for children and in any event , who is to say that population demographics will not change even during the life of a County Council.( four years )
Vacant education premises if there are any should be available to the local community for social and educational use.
With the closure of post offices and now the threat of school closures, the viability of life in rural areas is under threat even more, what goes next, the last shop? the last pub?the last church ? the last bus?
How do these proposals fit with the need to reduce travel? we have food miles where food is brought from far away, we will have post office miles,where people have to travel to get pensions and postal orders and now it looks as if we will have school miles as well.
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