Keep the Middle Schools

I find myself in entire agreement with Craig Dearden Phillips when he wrote in his letter (BFP 17/4/09) about the problems over the policy to close the Middle School. The full extent of the resulting problems are still not being fully exposed to the public. I found it incredulous that County Councillors were forced to vote on this issue purely on the educational merit and without regard to the full impact, which will see young children in Suffolk having twenty miles bus journeys to get to school funded by the County Council but not costed in advance to enable a proper assessment of the impact. It will not be good for any child to have to make such journeys and be so far from home.

Have the officers at the County not heard of Cost Benefit Analysis? Of course they have but why was this decision not properly worked through. How much is it going to cost to close schools and expand others, what is going to be the financial and environmental impact of another 1000 pupils going to school in Thurston? All these basic considerations were ignored then, and the County Council officers still do not have the figures to show how much all these changes are going to cost. What they do have is empty pockets! They have already ran out of money for these changes.

The experience in Derbyshire showed that changing the structure of the schools from 3 tier to 2 tier had no impact on educational standards. We see today the decision has already impacted on Suffolk's children. Standards have fallen as teachers leave and schools struggle to replace them. Supply teachers are not the solution for long term education.

Why did elected Councillors meant to represent you the public permit this ill thought out get voted through? Your local Bury St Edmunds Councillors who voted for this were Stefan Oliver, Paul and Rebbecca Hopfensperger, Terry Clements, Frank Warby. On June 4th You will have your opportunity to pass judgement at the ballot box. Don't waste your vote. Use it!

Now David Cameron has come up with another solution. To take schools out of local authority control. To whose control? Another unelected quango responsible to a Minister to busy working out their expenses to pay to give it proper consideration.