The current raft of school closures and ‘re-organisation’ being forced through by Croydon council would see us left with hardly any state run non-religious secondary school.
Comprehensive or community schools represent the most accessible and accountable form of secondary education, yet they will be almost eliminated from our borough.Academies have been investigated by Ofsted, the Parliamentary Accounts Committee, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and the TUC. These investigations clearly show that academies: operate covert selection procedures; are more expensive to run than other schools; are less accountable; have varying national curriculum, and pay & conditions; are creating a divisive two-tiered educational system.
The massive response to the council’s ‘consultation process has clearly demonstrated that the people of Croydon don’t want our schools to be handed over to individuals to be run for profit. If the council genuinely believes that its proposals will benefit the people of Croydon then they can organise parental and staff ballots at all the affected schools as they are doing in Sheffield.
There isn’t one Croydon councillor elected on a manifesto to close schools and establish academies. Decisions as significant as these for future generations should be subject to the widest possible democratic participation.
SOS wants you to have your say so come along to, the lobby and protest of the cabinet and one or all of the meetings this month and hear about the proposals and what we as a community in Croydon can do to stop them.
