We’re big supporters of the work of Standards Not Tiers and happy to publish their press releases on VentnorBlog to help keep you informed of the changes proposed to the education system on the Isle of Wight. Ed
“Mad Reorganisation Plans Motivated by Religious and Financial Concerns and Un-fairly Discriminate Against the Island’s Rural Communities the Poor and the Non-Religious”.
The Isle of Wight Council’s consultation proposals for the reorganisation of schools on the Island is driven principally by financial and religious considerations and makes absolutely no sense whatsoever for those living in rural areas that are set to lose their local schools. Advocates of both three or two tier systems will find these proposals difficult to swallow.
Destruction of Rural Communities. The extraordinarily high level of school closures will, no matter what option is foisted upon us, will lead to the destruction of many, mostly south and west Wight communities. This is exactly the plan we predicted that the Liberal Democrat led reforms of 2005 would have led to and it is completely unacceptable.
Undemocratic. Councillor’s Wells and Pugh are guilty of a betrayal of thousands of parents and grand-parents who helped to bring about a Tory landslide in the 2005 elections – largely on the basis that these voters did not agree with the Lib-Dem decision to re-organise our system and abolish middle schools and many small primary schools
Bad for Poor Families. Under these plans the current link between many village pre-schools and their primary school will be lost. Walking your child to school will no longer be possible as many more children will have to be bussed to their primary school from age 4. For many parents on low incomes or state benefits, this will make it very difficult if their child is ill whilst at school as they will be reliant on public transport to bring their child home. And this is the same Council that has indicated an unwillingness to continue the current financial support for public transport.
Environmentally Corrupt. So much for an “Eco-Island”. There will be a massive increase in the use of cars for the school run contrary to the objectives the School Travel Plan which is to reduce car use. This means that any measures introduced by the STP will be negated by the impact of school closures. So much for the STP’s stated aim of offering “real benefits to the school, the pupils, parents and the wider community”.
Religiously Discriminatory. Perhaps most worrying, is that under option 1, for the South and West Wight, there will be no standard high school provision whatsoever. Carisbrooke will become a so called “faith school” leaving South or West Wight parents who do not want their child to attend this school no option but to apply for out of area places at Cowes, Ryde or Sandown high schools.
Whilst option one is the least worst option in terms of impact, we continue to oppose all options because they:
* Force a religious high school on the parents of the South and West Wight.
* Discriminate against the rural communities that give the Island their character.
* Force many more children to have to travel from age 4.
* Make life impossible for poor families who rely on public transport.
* Do little to improve standards – we advocate soft change that addresses the problems not massive reorganisation that creates more problems.
