Two successful estate meeting were held this week at Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys community centres. Both drew audiences of around 50 people, giving campaigners the sense that this fight can be won and the attempt by New Labour to break up the local comprehensive system defeated.
Amongst the speakers was Neil Williams from the Milton Keynes Respect who spoke about the local Anti Academies Campaign and how it had started to rattle the Lib Dem unitary council. In Milton Keynes parents were petitioning for the right to have a vote over the future of their schools.
At the Rose Hill meeting the Head Teacher of Peers joined other teachers from the school in the debate. Although she argued that she supported the bid she made it clear that she felt herself to be in 'a difficult position'. Other teachers and campaigners spoke convincingly about the improvements taking place at Peers over the recent period and the disruption and long term damage to accountability and fairness that would be done by academy status.
At the Blackbird Leys meeting two New Labour County Councillors sat through the meeting without putting any arguments for academies. Local parents reacted angrily to the suggestion from them that no parents were present and they were forced to apologise. Councillor Val Smith, wife of the local Labour MP, claimed that she would put the arguments for the academy at the formal consultation meetings in June, but again when challenged it was clear that she did not yet know what these would be.
At the Rose Hill meeting the Head Teacher of Peers joined other teachers from the school in the debate. Although she argued that she supported the bid she made it clear that she felt herself to be in 'a difficult position'. Other teachers and campaigners spoke convincingly about the improvements taking place at Peers over the recent period and the disruption and long term damage to accountability and fairness that would be done by academy status.
At the Blackbird Leys meeting two New Labour County Councillors sat through the meeting without putting any arguments for academies. Local parents reacted angrily to the suggestion from them that no parents were present and they were forced to apologise. Councillor Val Smith, wife of the local Labour MP, claimed that she would put the arguments for the academy at the formal consultation meetings in June, but again when challenged it was clear that she did not yet know what these would be.
To contact the Oxford Anti Academies Alliance e-mail: OxfordAAA@molesend.demon.co.uk
For Oxford Mail article on Rose Hill meeting : http://www.oxfordmail.net/news/headlines/display.var.1421216.0.peers_academy_plan_very_scary.php
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