Uncertain Future for Education in Wiltshire

8.08.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 14th Jul 2010

Wiltshire Councillors Helen and Jeff Osborn have tried unsuccessfully to get the council to stand up for local children as the government presses ahead with its plans for radical changes to the education system.

A motion to the council meeting on July 13th expressed alarm at the moves to encourage Wiltshire primary and secondary schools to opt out of their relationship with the Local Education Authority (LEA).

The councillors pointed out that such a move is likely to result in a "creaming off" of well performing schools, leaving the LEA with a greater proportion of underperforming schools, and making it more difficult for the council to provide viable support services. Actual and threatened budget cuts could also have severe impacts on those local schools remaining with the LEA.

The motion called on the council to take an active part in communicating to Wiltshire people the possible impact of government policy on local schools and children, but Conservatives on the council used their majority to have the proposal thrown out.

Jeff Osborn said, "The end result of central government encouraging various schools to opt out of LEA support and become Academies is the creation of a two tier educational system. Schools still within LEA control will acquire a stigma as central government directs resources to the opted out Academies."

Helen Osborn said, "Opted out schools are likely to have separate admissions policies and exclusion policies that will work against less able pupils. It is not clear that they will be interested in Special Educational Needs provision."

In a separate item Cllr Helen Osborn also questioned the wisdom of the council pressing ahead with its controversial review of Special Educational Needs provision in the light of the upheaval caused by government policies.

She said, "Since This Special Educational Needs (SEN) Review was started the government has announced drastic cuts in the resources for Wiltshire LEA. Therefore there are serious doubts as to whether Wiltshire can supply the level of SEN support required."