It is time to catch up with the campaign to save Stiperstones Primary School in Shropshire. In recent days campaigners have staged a demonstration at County Hall in Shrewsbury and threatened the council with legal action over the way it has conducted its consultation process.
Why is the council so determined to close village schools in remote parts of the county? In an earlier post I suggested it was the ruling Conservative group's macho determination not to raise the Council Tax. But it turns out that every council in the land seems equally determined to do this. Why Labour councils are not putting up their local tax to enable them to spend more is a question for another day.
And you cannot blame Coalition cuts either. Because, at every consultation meeting, the council has insisted that any revenue or capital savings will be reinvested in education the county.
So what we appear to have is a Conservative group pursuing an essentially socialist policy of centralisation and standardisation. I smell ineffective politicians and over-mighty officers here.
My latest theory is that the whole process is an act of revenge by the Conservative councillor in charge of the process. She wants to get back at the world to make up for being obliged to go through life called Aggie Caesar-Homden.
I hope that winning our Name of the Day award will be some small recompense to her.
At the risk of stating the bleedin' obvious, what they mean is that they are covering their cost increases in the other schools by closing the smaller schools. It is cost per pupil in each school that you need to study - if it is significantly higher in the smaller schools, they will be shut. But do the Councils take into account the extra cost of buses to carry the children long distances to school? And the winter weather disruption to schooling?
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