Update of the Anti-Trust Campaign

On Friday 6 Feb there was a very well attended meeting of the group. Several invited people spoke about different aspects of the campaign and shared their different perspectives with an audience of about seventy people. The meeting was chaired by Roger, a local resident.

Steve White spoke about the educational problems that would come with a Trust and also the problems it would cause for NUT members' pay and conditions. The NUT is the biggest national Teachers' union and has a national policy opposing them.

The second speaker was a local resident involved in local sports activities for young people. He spoke about his lack of belief in the Local council when they talk-up the prospect of increased sports facilities. He told the meeting that sports facilities were likely to be further diminished if this proposal to build such a big school on the site goes ahead. He shockingly added that the whole borough has only two 400 meter running tracks and this proposal will reduce the one on the site to 300 meters.

The next speaker was from a heritage group who spoke against the proposal because of the unsuitability of the new school on the site. He added that most school new-builds did not try and blend with the environment but were completely aesthetically insensitive to their surroundings.

After the speakers there was a lively debate from the meeting with many good contributions made. Mike Barton stated that the best way to stop this appalling proposal was to democratically organise against it. He said as many people as possible should turn up at the BSF council meeting on Thursday at 7.pm to show just how discontent we all are.

A teacher from Norlington stated that his members were so disgusted with the proposal that they have indicated that if the consultation is not fairly done they are prepared to strike. They are in fact permitted under union law to ballot for strike action if their employer is changed from the Local Authority, which of course will happen under the trust proposal.

A teacher from George Mitchell stated that he had resigned from the group at his school that were working on the proposal because they had not been honest about why the Trust was proposed. He stated that it only came about because GM had fallen into 'National Challenge Status', which means their exams results were not regarded as satisfactory and they had been threatened with an Academy: an even worse option for the school. 

Other contributions included some very angry parents and local residents who want more for their kids than an educational experiment.

At the end of the meeting it was resolved to fight even harder. The actions that the group will take are as follows:

Attend the council meeting at the Town Hall on Thursday 12th Feb at 7.pm

Meet in the Bowling club on Friday 13th to plan our next series of meetings and action.

Write to local papers

Write to local councilors

Write to Chris Loy in opposition to the proposed building in very large numbers.

Bring your ideas for further action to the meeting on Friday. It is on the Cricket ground site