Author: Sal
Schools Option ‘Five’ Voted In By Isle of Wight Council
Wednesday, 19th March, 2008 at 9:05 pm, Isle of Wight
We’re sure you’ve all been on the edge of your seats, we certainly have.
After nearly three hours of discussion, with lots of typing from Simon (he’s a star!) the final verdict has arrived and the majority vote is for the fifth option, submitted by David Pugh at the last minute.
Full details of the fifth option can be read in our previous posting.
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March 19th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
While I believe this is good news, quite how the Council got away with suddenly adding a 5th option is beyond me, the vote was on option 1,2 or 3!!!
March 19th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
IT IS NOT OPTION 5, IT IS OPTION 3 WITH AMENDMENTS!
March 19th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Thank goodness the council did not bottle it.I can understand the concerns of many parents but i think Ventnor now has a chance to build on its already good educational foundations
March 20th, 2008 at 10:27 am
It may appear to the casual observer the council have moved forward with the right decision but for those intimately involved with the details of this consultation the council have also completely alienated themselves from islanders by presenting a false argument with entirely unneccessary choices - parents would have filled in the questionnaire completely differently in retrospect and more people would have filled them in if they didn’t think “oh the council are just going to do what they want anyway”. Coupled with many councillors ignoring key questions from parents, the galling arrogance of this olive branch just delays the agony of parents and teachers not knowing what the hell is going to happen with their individual school.
Not voting for a referendum just reiterates the lack of respect they have for islanders views. This is not a council to admire or be proud of, they need booting out ASAP.
Well done for those councillors who voted for option 4, i.e. for doing what you were elected to do by listening to and representing islanders and sticking to your word - your seat will be safe in the next election.
In the meantime let’s follow Lord Adonis’ advice and hope the Ombudsman lift the lid on this debacle.
March 20th, 2008 at 10:42 am
There’s a horrible feeling in this thread of ‘the end justifying the means’. It may turn out at some time far into the future that reverting to a two tier system was the right thing to do (it may, of course, not!) but we must never forget the undemocratic nature of the, so called, consultation. The electorate has been duped.
March 22nd, 2008 at 7:24 pm
“The electorate has been duped.”
And that is the point, isn’t it? The number of tiers is a red herring, as children can be successfully educated with one tier and a tent, if they and their teachers are motivated enough. This happens in less affluent parts of the world, where just surviving is a more noticeable feature of everyday life. I support 3 tiers simply because it’s what we’ve got, and you need a very good reason to impose the amount of disruption required to change it. If that improves things, especially for children already in the middle, I’m a Chinaman. Of course, by the time this becomes apparent, Pugh and Co. will be long gone, and his successors will doubtless be massaging the stats again to prove that black is white, Monday is Friday, and the global temperature is still rising (it isn’t - it stopped ten years ago, but that’s deception for you!)