Wight 2 B Heard Conference - island students criticise school closure plans
Isle of Wight Radio reported yesterday (Sat 8th March) that a majority of Island students at the Wight 2 B Heard Conference held in Bembridge on Friday had a message for the council to ‘leave our small primary schools alone’.
The radio station reported on it’s website that fears over plans to shut dozens of primary schools here dominated debates on issues affecting the Island’s youth. Hundreds of teenagers raised their concerns directly with leading councillors and officials, including IW Council leader, Cllr David Pugh, the Island’s Councillor for Children, Alan Wells, and Director of Children’s Services Steve Beynon.
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March 9th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Something for all of us to comtemplate….. Over this weekend I learnt that 30 children were born last year in West Wight - and there are five primary schools in the West Wight who will be fighting for those 30 children.
Clearly some things are going to have to change.
March 10th, 2008 at 10:47 am
mum3: What are they putting in the water?!
Seriously, I’d like to know what the truth is, as I’ve heard various rumours about the West Wight birth rate for last year, ranging from “below 100″ down to the lowest that you’ve just quoted - 30. And no-one seems to know whether “West Wight” in this instance refers to Totland/Alum Bay, or all points west of Newport.
But apart from finding out the truth about the figures, two other points to consider:
1. School intakes are based not just on local birth rate but on movement in/out. In my child’s primary class, for instance, about a third of the children were not born on the Island but moved here from as far afield as Scotland because their parents fell in love with the Isle of Wight, and also loved the school and the surrounding area.
2. Though property prices on the Island have rocketed in the last few years, making it hard for first-time buyers and those with young children to get a foothold, who knows what will happen in the next few years? There are an awful lot of houses in rural areas (more than I had realised, having spent part of my weekend leafleting for Option 4) that are actually perfect “starter home” size. If house prices do come down, those may once more be more affordable to families. But they won’t appeal if all the schools have gone.
So we can’t be short-termist about this.
If I was marketing the Isle of Wight I would draw attention to our good primary schools, I would make a commitment to keeping them, I’d point out the beauty of the Island, its relaxed atmosphere, its low crime rate, its aim to become an eco-Island, and emphasise that it is a wonderful place to bring up a family. I moved here 10 years ago myself for that reason. What I wouldn’t do is try to destroy its good features.