Three education unions have raised fresh concerns about how schools are closed on the Isle of Wight, warning of a system that disadvantages local authority (LA) schools while allowing others to avoid responsibilities.
Following a meeting with the West Wight Labour MP, Richard Quigley, on Wednesday 28th May, Peter Shreeve, Assistant District Secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), issued a statement about the discussion and its wider implications.
Union letter highlights bias
Back on 2nd April, GMB, NEU and UNISON wrote jointly to the Island’s two MPs, urging action on what they described as an uneven playing field in school closure procedures.
In their letter, the unions said “The Island experience clearly shows a bias towards allowing non-LA schools to evade their responsibilities” in the primary school closure process.
They added,
“The system for closing schools fairly and for the greater good has failed. Indeed, it has made the situation worse.
“We believe, we will be victim to the same system next year as rolls are still falling and in subsequent years as pupils move into the secondary system.”
Meeting with MP covers broader issues
NEU and UNISON met with the West Wight MP on 28th May to discuss these concerns directly.
Richard Quigley MP was described as sympathetic and agreed to speak with fellow MP Stephen Morgan and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Education about a possible amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Peter Shreeve warned that,
“If schools don’t have to play with the same rule book, any future school closures will be flawed. National government must act on this issue.”
Funding and SEMH school delay also raised
Although the meeting was scheduled for 30 minutes, it overran, allowing unions to bring up other pressing matters.
These included the general lack of education funding on the Island, particularly for coastal schools, and concerns about delays and lack of progress in building the long-awaited Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) school in Carisbrooke.
The unions have pledged to write to Mr Quigley again and follow up on the issues discussed.
