Education and the Countryside

With all the focus of on the LDF, the discussions about Unitary Authorities, and the recession at the moment are we in danger of forgetting the basic building blocks of our community?

The County Council plows on with its bizarre policy of scrapping high quality Middle Schools with no regard to local views or the best ways to educate our children, looking only at ways to get at the Whitehall money pot.

The Report on Rural Poverty is discreetly shelved and Councillors sit on their hands in Committee meetings rather than rock the boat by fighting the corner for the residents of their wards.

The government's policy of targeting individual's in need rather than the needs of communities as whole is fine in principle. In practice the policy of not telling people their rights unless they specifically ask leaves many falling through the net. Especially in rural areas where the safety net has bigger gaps! What happens to the money set aside by the government when people are confused by 40 page forms for Pension Credit? Well the government just keep the money! They don't trumpet how much they have saved by not telling people up front what they are entitled to.

Does the 4th wealthiest nation in the world need to treat it's own people like this?

At this time of recession Education is the way to move people and the economy forward. New skills training, after school support, particularly for those in rural areas so often barred from after school activity because the school bus home makes no provision. Our soldiers serving overseas are poorly served by a school system that does not like children arriving for two year stints before their father is reposted elsewhere. These are the children of men fighting and dying for our country we should give them a better deal and recognise their special needs in what is often a lone parent household when their father is away.

The Council's Green Infrastructure Plans need to look at jobs and services, at how our rural community works and not just how to freeze the countryside as a picture postcard setting!