Don't Tell the Unions

Don't tell the unions they will blow a gasket. Oh wait, they are already complaining silly me.
The union it mantra is that it is for the children. The reality it is for their agenda. Whose agenda you ask visit the Socialist Party of America website and the Socialist Party of the UK website to learn more. If you do not know there is a big socialist presence in public schools you are not paying attention.

Quote of the Day - A tax supported, compulsory educational system is the complete model of the totalitarian state. - Isabel Patterson, The God of the Machine

The following story appeared on the Banbury Cake website.

Cathy
Spelling errors, grammar errors, misuse of homonyms and typos are left as an exercise for my readers.


Ten groups interested in setting up 'free' schools
7:00am Thursday 27th January 2011
By Reg Little »

EDUCATION bosses have had 10 “serious” expressions of interest from parents over setting up free schools in Oxfordshire.

Now bosses at Oxfordshire County Council are asking parents interested in setting up the schools to attend a meeting at County Hall next month.

And the council says it is looking at free schools as a possible solution in areas where existing schools are over-subscribed.

Free schools are a key education policy of the coalition Government and offer parents, teachers, charities, trusts, religious and voluntary groups taxpayers’ cash to set up their own schools.



The county council has had three inquiries from groups in Oxford, two in the Cherwell district, one in Wallingford and, as reported in the Oxford Mail, one in Witney. Three others have not revealed what area of the county they would be interested in.

Parents who home school their children have shown an interest in setting up a free school at Cogges Manor Farm Museum in Church Lane, which volunteers hope to reopen.

Michael Waine, cabinet member for schools improvement, said: “We welcome the opportunity to talk to anyone who is interested in setting up a free school if they can contribute to ensuring high quality education in areas where there is pressure on existing school places.

“We have had approaches from organisations and individuals and we will be inviting them to a meeting where the council will outline the challenges and opportunities it faces against the backdrop of a rising school population in the county.”

Pressure on places has seen plans announced to tighten the catchment area of Wolvercote Primary School in Oxford and expand classes at two primaries in Grove and Wantage.

Grove CofE School would increase its reception class from 15 to 30. Charlton Primary School would increase its reception class from 45 to 60 from September next year, with a new building to accommodate four extra classrooms.

The council said there had been a “significant and sustained rise” in pupils numbers in Wantage and Grove.

Critics have said free school cash should instead go to the axed Building Schools for the Future programme, which was introduced under Labour to rebuild and renovate schools.

Chris Blakey, county member of the National Union of Teachers’ executive, said: “Free schools are not an efficient way to create extra spaces.

“The most efficient way would be for local authorities to be able to expand their schools or build new ones.

“Free Schools will take money from local authority schools. It is not new money.”

For information about the February 8 meeting, email Monika.Massiah@oxfordshire.gov.uk or call 01865 816453.




Cathy
Spelling errors, grammar errors, misuse of homonyms and typos are left as an exercise for my readers.