Vix Lowthion shares this latest news on behalf of Isle of Wight Green party. Ed
The Isle of Wight Green Party are expressing deep concern about the impact of the proposed closures of six Island primary schools, and are calling for the consultation to be broadened so as not be restricted to only local authority schools.
Six schools have been recommended for possible closure as a result of the falling number of school-aged children on the Island. None of the schools currently on the list are academies, which operate independently from local councils and get their funding directly from the government.
Academies should be included
National guidance indicates that an academy can only be closed by mutual agreement of the academy trust and the Secretary of State for Education – bypassing the council and local education authority altogether.
As a result, the process looks to have only considered the closure of non-academy schools, thus limiting the scope and strength and reliability of the recommendations in the report.
Against the academisation of schools
Green Party policy has consistently been against the academisation of schools, believing that this takes away power from the local community to influence decisions.
The impending closure of the six local authority primary schools precisely illustrates the problems created by such a fragmented system.
Lowthion: It’s a scandal
Vix Lowthion, local teacher and national Education spokesperson for the Green Party, says,
“No local council wishes to close their schools. Arreton, Brading, Cowes, Godshill, Oakfield and Wroxall are arguably popular schools, with children making good progress and serving their local communities well.
“It is a scandal that these schools are threatened with closure, whilst others have been excluded and discounted from consideration just because of their academy status.
“We urge the government to clearly change their guidance and ensure that the process fairly considers every school and all possible avenues to raising education standards for children on the Isle of Wight. No school should be absent from inclusion just because they are academy.”
The public consultation period is currently live, and runs until 31st October.
