Council warning over schools' budget

How dare someone suggest shutting small schools like Yarmouth. Are they not aware about The excellent quality teaching and safe environment that these small schools can deliver, and in yarmouths case the close links and support wih the local community. The schOol offers not just an education for the children but a vital link to the community both old and young. Yes the schOol is small, but it shows
That with the right leadership and community around it they are not a drain but an asset. The failing schools need to involve the parents and community more
To rally round and give this vital support, which is terrific learning environment.
Yarmouth have shown this with their excellent ofsted recently. Safe our small schools, support them don't diss them.

If local authority gives us the education system we currently 'enjoy' then in my view the schools themselves couldn't possibly do a worse job. Give the people at the front line the money and the power to make decisions. It makes sense. County Hall lacks competence and credibility.

Mike, KB-J would need to learn to spell first...
"debarcle ? I don't think so !!!!!

The schools have no choice than to become Academies - the council cut back the LEA to such an extent that it was unable to lacked the competency and resource to provide this - congratulations the council saves money.

Unfortunately this puts all our schools in the position that they have to skill up or contract out these services. In many cases they do not have the capacity, legal or professional support to do this efficiently. There is no central procurement or economy of scale and poor contract decisions are being made. Net result is that schools are spending more money to get the same service and there is increasing fragmentation and divergence of standards.

It also means that Headteachers, Staff & Governors now have to concentrate on running the business, rather than focusing on their real role - educating our children.

Don't blame the schools for becoming academies - they have no choice.

Look on your works ye mighty and despair!

David Shoulder has it nailed, there are too many schools on the Island, including ones like Yarmouth which have something ridiculous like 60 pupils. Schools like these are just financially draining the budget.
My old mainland school got shut down when it was classed as "too small for a primary school" with 110 people!

Obviously, even mentioning shutting it down would rile up locals and cause mass protests, but you can't have it all ways, Shalfleet primary isn't *that* far away (And if i remember right is partnered with Y'Mouth?). People seem to think they have a "right" to have a school on their doorstep, and travelling more than 5 mins is like asking them to go to the moon!

Alas, the budget will be organised by uninformed morons at the IWC as usual until schools fall into the private sector. I can see it now, Maths lessons, sponsored by Coca-Cola and Dave's Plumbing.

The Tories said they would sort out education - they failed miserably. Schools and school results here are the worst in the country. I ask you, if you were in charge of an individual Island school and had a choice to pay anything to these fools, you wouldn't give them a penny would you?

Why reward failure? Everything said about the lack of accountability in the health service could be said of those in local government. They get things badly wrong and leave only to reappear in a new job elsewhere. No-one ever takes blame even for criminal incompetence.

There are too many schools on the IOW and councillors have ducked the need to rationalise through local political pressure. We have far too many small schools and massive over provision of 6th form. There is going to be carnage before their is sanity and the terrible thing is many children's education are going to be blighted. The whole is made much worse by the fact Local Authorities are running out of money. (one reason (short term gain) they are letting planners and developers run rough shod over the Island).

what for you to be elected and sort the country out?

Jolly good. Can't wait to see you tackle all the things you pick holes in :-)

you won't have to wait long Crowe

Then the retards who messed up the budget should take a pay cut of £400,000 between them.

Any views or opinions presented in the comments above are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the Isle of Wight County Press.