It was fascinating to read the stories about two organisations sending their papers to London to see about new secondary schools – one based in Walcot, for a school in north Swindon and the other based in Bristol, for an as yet undecided site.
Neither will have been the subject of local democratically elected debate but both will expect local hard working families to buy the sites for them.
This seems most unfair, yet one of the town’s two MPs is backing only one of the establishments, the other is a faith school. The leader of the council has suggested that he is minded to support a satellite for a grammar school in the town. Smacks of selection to me and where’s the choice in that?
Of course, if one makes ‘choice’ one’s mantra, then this is wonderful, unless the town needs three schools of course.
If only one or two are allowed by civil servants in London, one has no choice. Usually a choice means over provision leading to empty spaces. This is very expensive.
At a time when the local council leaders are bracing us for £50 million worth of cuts to services, can we afford the luxury of such ‘choice’ or will the council’s services be reduced to a few volunteers tidying up flower beds aided by an MP as reported recently?
Bob Pixton Abney Moor Swindon
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