Many people have told VentnorBlog that they think the proposed changes to the schools is a done deal. Not so. As we’re in the formal consultation period, comments that are made now have to be taken account of by those making the decisions. Not only that, but the decision-makers have to show that they’ve been considered.
Island resident and father of school-aged children, Dave Botha, shares below with our readers, his letter to Schools Project Manager, Alex Moffatt. It contains his views on the formal schools consultation and proposed changes. He raises some excellent points which are worth reading and considering if you haven’t submitted your comments yet. Ed
Dear Alex
I feel I have not been properly consulted about the changes your council proposes to make to my children’s educational infrastructure.
The Web site form and glossy brochure some months ago were touted as consultation, but in fact I was prevented from expressing my opinion, I was presented with a fait accomplis, I was expected to support one of your three undesirable proposals or be locked out with no opportunity to advocate any alternative.
The local meetings were fragmented and dissociated; the governors, parents and public were segregated, with no opportunity to hear each others points of view. The public meeting had no council voices present, they left as the meeting was due to open! The detailed representations from the Parish Council and from the school governors have been responded to only in the last few days of this secondary consultation, allowing inadequate time for us to respond. The central issue; small size, is referred to as a problem, in fact it is a very positive attribute for a primary school, according to the evidence* I have heard.
I am disturbed to hear that our education front line professionals; the head teachers. have been gagged and prevented from attending meetings or expressing their opinions on the subject. This sort of politics may be normal in Zimbabwe or Russia but it is not democracy, it is not open informed consultation and it is not acceptable here.
I firmly believe that small schools are better for the country, the environment, the local community, the family and, particularly, for the children.
There is a solid body of documented evidence* in favour of small schools which you have not presented.
What evidence do you have that large schools are better? For whom? By what measure?
Have you carefully considered the impact on my local community in the short term ad the larger community in the long term?
I understand that the UK demographic projections* are for a rise in population in rural areas, especially along the coast.
It seems to me that we will need more rural primary school places shortly.
Even the fiscal argument for closure is flawed, the costs of transportation seem to weigh heavily against any cost per head per annum savings analysis. Transport costs will increase. The green, eco island carbon footprint is not helped by this increase in transportation.
Why not provide transport to these very good small schools for some children from more urban locations?
Families trapped in the traffic chaos, urban sprawl and social fragmentation of Newport might well choose to sent their children to a wonderful little rural school like Chale if they were offered the choice, after all it is the small schools which often perform best academically and they offer a more personal and caring environment as well.
There is a legal governmental “presumption against closure of small rural schools”, so you have to give me very good reasons why my local school is being threatened and disrupted. The reason you were giving some months ago (£7,000,000 funding etc), does not stand up and I am not convinced that redistribution of our Chale budget will benefit the rest of the island schools by more than a few pence per child, if at all.
I urge you to take another look, schools are more than buildings, SATS and financial accounts,
Schools are about children, dreams, aspirations, achievements, co-operation, nurture, society, inclusion, laughter, skills, community, history, study, futures, enfoldment, music, dance, art, literacy, games, socialization, synergy, numeracy, tolerance, wonder, improvisation, preparation, integration, fun, friends and family.
I chose organic free range education for my children in a small rural school
Small rural primary schooling provides a great start in life. That is a fact*.
Island children should have that opportunity by right.
There are many other options* for small rural schools, closure for Chale is simply WRONG.
Rather than debate these options by email, I would like to attend a public meeting and full debate where informed opinion on both sides could be expounded? Perhaps it could be chaired by our Member of Parliament with Messrs Pugh and Wells of the IWC putting their case to Mervyn Benford from the NASS and Chris Welsford of SNT. I understand that in other locations in similar circumstances, once the facts have been presented, decision makers have sometimes radically changed their position!
Thank you, I look forward to reading your response to this, my representation.
Dave Botha
*NASS, OFSTED, SNT, TES (detailed references are available from the National association of Small Schools)
