OUR schools face a testing time, but we are not in 2008.

What happened then over the fight to save schools from shutting, doesn’t apply now.

Communities are being offered a chance to engage directly with a council facing a far greater struggle with schools funding and resources than could have been envisaged seven years ago.

The need to source new streams of financing is no scare tactic.

Nor is there any plan – covert or otherwise – to close schools.

But it is not unreasonable in present and future circumstances to expect schools and their communities to plan for sustainability.

In 2008 the then council made almost every PR error possible over the controversial proposal to shut or merge 37 schools.

Those errors were compounded by the subsequent political back-tracking that only added to the confusion and stoked further ire.

The council’s current offer can avoid all that if schools and communities see beyond 2008 to re-engage with an unavoidable issue.

It’s worth bearing in mind that one of the leaders of the schools closure protests seven years ago is on Herefordshire Council’s cabinet now – representing children and young people.

Read the full news article on this here: http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/13340204.Double_whammy_for_Herefordshire_schools/