Leader turns up the heat on government (From Hereford Times)

Leader turns up the heat on government

12:17pm Thursday 21st February 2008

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HEREFORDSHIRE Council is turning up the heat on Westminster following last week's mass protests over school closures.

Angered by conflicting guidelines, four council figures are to meet education minister Jim Knight on March 12. Leader of Herefordshire Council, Roger Phillips, will head the delegation, pressing for clearer policy and better funding.

The group will confirm the rejection of the ill-fated LEA review to close or merge 37 county schools, while reiterating its promise not to close any high schools.

Herefordshire is the third-lowest funded education authority in England and Wales, a situation further threatened by predicted falling pupil numbers.

Having resisted calls to resign, Councillor Phillips wants to show the minister the depth of public feeling "We want to promote our commitment that Herefordshire will do everything in its power to protect and develop Herefordshire schools and the communities that support and depend on those schools," he said.

"I hope that parents feel that their rallying call of save our schools' has been well and truly heard by the council, but it is vital that the government understands that, too."

WEST Mercia police now estimate some 4,000 people attended last Wednesday's HASC (Herefordshire Against Closing Schools) rally in Hereford.

The group is now in the process of becoming an official organisation and wants to continue fighting for Herefordshire schools.

Co-organiser Jane Ward said: "I can't really say thank you enough to all the people who turned up.

"We are now turning it into an official organisation, which I think is going to be charity-based. People have said we need a group in Herefordshire to keep an eye on what's going on. We are here to stay."

Ms Ward was among a small group who met council leader Roger Phillips and chief executive Chris Bull at Hereford Town Hall after the rally.

They heard assurances that, in the wake of the protest, no schools would even be considered for closure unless they fell within the county's current pupil number criteria.

In turn, Coun Phillips and Mr Bull heard they had someway to go to re-build the trust and confidence lost over the plan and how it was handled.

A BORDER community is taking-up the issue on the Downing Street website. A petition - at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/villageschools - has been started by Llangrove School and Communities in Partnership, and has been sent to rural counties facing the same problem.

"We believe strongly in the need to get as many people as possible to combine on this issue," said group member Lisa Finighan.

A CONSERVATIVE politician was due to visit Hereford today (Thursday) to talk about the school closure plans with headteachers, parents and campaigners. Shadow Secretary of State for Schools Michael Gove was set to join parliamentary candidate Jesse Norman at a working supper to discuss education.

TWO Hereford schools closed on Monday as a result of the cold weather. St Paul's Primary School had a burst water pipe and Our Lady's RC Primary School had no heating. Both re-opened on Tuesday.

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