Report to the People
7th February 2005
Expert Judgement
The
distance between both sides of the schools row makes the gaps in the Dundee
United back line last Wednesday look like hairline cracks.
On
the one hand, parents and pupils are – if the columns of the Telegraph
and the correspondence I receive are a good barometer – against the plans,
which they see as a backward step. On
the other, Inverclyde Council maintains that the plan is good news for our
children.
Both
are legitimate points of view which could be argued. But they cannot, obviously, both be right.
In
the weeks since the Council took the decision to press ahead with their plans,
therefore, I have been speaking to the Education Minister, Peter Peacock.
In addition to seeking an assurance that he will closely scrutinise the
Notre Dame decision (which will be referred to him by virtue of the fact that
it’s over 80% full), I have also asked him to explore the possibility of
sending in HM Inspectorate of Education to assess the overall impact of the
council’s policy.
These
independent experts will be able to judge whether the proposals will actually
deal with the main problem – that our children are being held back by being
taught in crumbling classrooms – or whether the Council needs to think again.
And this would, I believe, be in everyone’s interest.
At
the moment, I don’t know whether involving HMIE will be possible.
But, when we’re dealing such an important issue, we have a duty to
explore every avenue.
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