SOS - Save Our Schools!

Standards-Not-Tiers Press Release - 11th July 2008

The seven strong SNT executive met on Tuesday 8th July, to discuss the group’s stance in light of the recent announcement by the Isle of Wight County Council’s Conservative ruling group that they will make any decision on wholesale schools reorganisation, subject to the agreement of the electorate at the ballot box in 2009.

The SNT executive decided unanimously to reject the move to two-tiers and reverse any decision made by the current administration which it declared to be completely at odds with any concept of democracy.

Chairman of SNT, Chris Welsford said: “The election of the Tories in 2005 held so much promise for the improvement of our school system and should have resulted in the introduction of crucial improvements that did not involve the upheaval of wholesale reorganisation and school closures. One of our main concerns about the LibDem proposals in 2005 was the fact that many small primary schools and all our middle schools, which are after all small secondary schools, would be lost forever. Reorganisation flies in the face of current educational thinking that small schools actual deliver better results both academic and social for the communities which such schools serve. The imposition of reorganisation, school closures and the proposed abolition of the middle schools has no democratic basis and we are clearly not the only ones to feel this way”.

The SNT executive agreed that Cllr Pugh had been forced to go to the electorate with his plans because they are completely at odds with the Conservative mandate to retain the existing system until the case against it has been proved. The Isle of Wight was one of the most improved Local Authorities in England in 2007 and this demonstrates that the case for reorganisation has not been proved. Steve Beynon himself has had to admit publicly at the Cowes meeting that there is no proof that standards will improve under a two tier system.

Chris Welsford said: “We are absolutely convinced that no sane politician would ignore their main election promise and then expect to be re-elected. There are many in the Conservative party who are seething at the behaviour of Pugh and his colleagues. If he could have carried this off without risking the election then he would have done so. Until now, we felt that there was no choice but to accept the council’s decision made on the 19th March. The decision to put the matter to the electorate changes everything. No matter what we do now, uncertainty will continue. Responsibility for that lies solely with Pugh’s Conservatives. As much as anything this is a matter of standing up for democracy. What is certain though, is that a vote for an Independent councillor who supports the SNT line will bring stability and calm to the education system and allow teachers to do what they are trained to do, without fear, intimidation and the unbelievable uncertainty that the last few years have brought”.

Standards-Not-Tiers will now bring forward a policy for schools that will stop any further reorganisation for being pursued during the next term of office of a supporting council. During that period of calm we will address the problems that should have been addressed over the last ten or fifteen years but were not. We will seek to safeguard community learning facilities and where a local community has their own plans for schools we will support them as we recognise that there is no further value in a one size fits all education system. Keeping education as local as possible for as long as possible will be a priority.

Members of the group will now join with other independent candidates and seek election as independent councillors on this platform. A detailed policy statement is being prepared and will be available in due course.

Councillor Alan Wells will be on the Phone-In Again Tomorrow (Thursday 3rd July).

Tune in to Isle of Wight Radio at 12pm.

The phone number to call in is 822002.

No mandate! It’s Official. School Reorganisation Plans are Un-Democratic.

Standards-Not-Tiers Press Release - 1st July 2008

Standards Not Tiers have welcomed a statement made by David Pugh on behalf of the Isle of Wight Conservative Association that effectively shelves the current formal consultation embarked on by the Council last month.

Chairman of Standards-Not-Tiers Chris Welsford said “whilst we are pleased that Mr Pugh accepts that we need to put this to the people, nobody should forget how much time, money and more importantly goodwill of teachers and parents has been squandered since he took office in September 2007. Having wasted all the good work done by officers and the Children’s Commission during the three years following the 2005 election, he is now being forced to climb down. Would the Conservatives have made this decision had it not been for the pressure that we and others exerted in respect of their broken election promise? We also need to keep in mind the effect on all of us, parents, teachers, ancillary staff and children, of the radical proposals that were made in January and the subsequent farce of a consultation that followed. They are only doing this now because they are under pressure to win the next election. What David Pugh and Alan Wells have demonstrated is how powerful politicians are and how easily their poorly thought out plans can make a misery of the lives of ordinary people”.

Standards-Not-Tiers made a pledge in January that it would field candidates at the next council elections in 2009. Following a meeting of potential candidates in May, it was decided that supporters of the group would stand as independent candidates. At that meeting it was established that there were sufficient potential candidates to take a majority at the next election and that whilst Education would be the central plank of their combined thinking, democracy and fairness would be the group’s main theme, as a contrast to the selfish and dictatorial stance adopted by the current Tory Group.

Debbie Hart, a member of the SNT Executive said: “This is all about Democracy. We would like to hear from others who are unhappy with this administration and who would like to see a non-party political approach to local government on the Island. We would like to encourage people who would be prepared to step forward as independent councillors and promote the virtues of conscience and principle in local government.”

As the Isle of Wight Conservative Councillors Group announce plans to shelve controversial education changes until after the next election, a dissident former Conservative Councillor described the new proposals as hypocritical plans hatched in desperation.

“I could hardly believe what I heard. David Pugh’s leadership has already subjected the Island to unprecedented levels of misery and uncertainty because of one ‘about turn’ on policy. Now he announces another one! This Council should have been investing its efforts in improving education on the Island in order to make a proper evaluation of what changes, if any, were needed. That was what we said we would do in the last election. Instead, the current administration caused widespread worry and confusion by dragging the Island through a back-to-front process, ending up where it should have started – asking people what they actually want!

“The people of the Isle of Wight have already seen the current leadership reneging on Manifesto commitments. How can anyone trust promises made by people who seem to change their minds depending on which way they think the wind’s blowing! Looking at the record since David Pugh seized power, I’m not persuaded by this sudden change of heart and will be standing as an Independent candidate in the next Council election. However, I continue to be a committed supporter of our excellent MP, Andrew Turner, who has always shown real integrity and commitment to the Island whether in the education or any other debate.”

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Stop the Press!

Please find attached a statement from David Pugh and the Conservative Association regarding the 2009 election.

Download the Press Release.

Statutory Consultation on Education Reform starts this week.

In addition to meetings at every Island school, beginning with those to be closed, amalgamated or federated, there is a series of meetings for parents to get information from officers and make representations about the shake-up.

The formal consultation period begins on Monday 23 June and lasts until Friday 26 September at 5pm. Representations can be made in writing to Alex Moffat, School Reorganisation Project Manager, Isle of Wight Council, County Hall, Newport, PO30 1UD or via email to moving.forward@iow.gov.uk

Meeting Dates and Locations

• Tuesday, June 24, 6.30-8pm, Cowes High School (for parents of Solent Middle, Somerton Middle and Cowes High students.
• Thursday, June 26, 6.30-8pm, Sandown High (Lake Middle, Forelands Middle, Sandham Middle, Sandown High).
• Friday, June 27, 6.30pm-8pm, Osborne Middle (East Cowes Primary, Whippingham Primary, Osborne Middle).
• Wednesday, July 2, 6.30-8pm, meetings at Chale, St Helens and Weston primary schools
• Thursday, July 3, 7-9pm, Cowes Yacht Haven public meeting.
  
• Wednesday, July 9, 6.30-8pm, Carisbrooke High School (West Wight Middle, Nodehill Middle, Carisbrooke High).
  
• Wednesday, July 9, 6.30-8pm, Medina High School (Downside Middle, Kitbridge Middle, Medina High).
  
• Thursday, July 10, 7-9pm, Cowes Yacht Haven public meeting.
• Wednesday, July 16, 6.30-8pm, Ryde High School (Bishop Lovett Middle, Mayfield Middle, Swanmore Middle, Ryde High).
  
• Monday, July 21, 6.30-8pm, Ventnor Middle (Wroxall Primary, Chillerton and Rookley Primary, Godshill Primary, Ventnor Middle).

Presumably there are more meetings to come as some areas such as Sandown Bay seem to have been missed out.

For more details, view the Eduwight website.