Call for Cross-party working on education by Lib Dems
The Liberal Democrats are calling for a return to cross party working on education.
Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Barbara Janke said "Over recent years politicians signed up to a cross-party approach on raising attainment in Bristol's schools. All parties recognised that this was a crucial task. We need to work together to provide the vision, leadership and drive for this to happen."
"Recent Labour education proposals have sparked protests and criticisms from the city’s residents and have been opposed by the Liberal Democrats and other parties on the Council. That is why at the Primary Review Call-In, I recommended that a cross-party working group be set up to revisit the controversial plans. The Tories have supported this and so I hope that Labour administration will agree.”
" We are calling upon the ruling Labour group today to return to cross party working on education so that a consenus can be built and a consistent vision created, to form the building blocks of improvement work to come.”
The ruling Labour administration have been heavily criticised for their plans to shut three primary schools as part of their ‘Primary Review’. The Government has also taken a dim view of the City Council’s bid for cash for the Review, humiliating the administration by sending it back to be redrafted with Government assistance. And in the last week, Labour announced plans to ‘externalise’ the School Improvement Service, creating a massive £15m deal for a lucky ‘partner’.
Cllr Janke added "Such strategic decisions which involve millions of taxpayers money will affect the lives of children in the city for years to come. They should be the subject of working between the different parties on the council and work should have been open and transparent. Instead we have the announcement of the decision at the very last moment after months of working in secret."