Quoting the Green Party manifesto:
"We won't be able to provide an entirely fair schools admission policy until
we have extra secondary facilities in the city centre"
... and there follows a pledge to work to secure those extra facilities.
I thoroughly agree with Sharon that we need good schools within walking (or
cycling) distance for all our children, and I would like to see dedicated,
safe, cycle paths for them to do use like the one by the Level (not the sorry
excuses for cycle lanes that we have elsewhere at the moment, which randomly
start and stop, and have cars parked on top of them...)
No, the Greens do not play pathetic political games - the Green Councillor
was not sacked. He was away at a pre-arranged engagement and had to be
replaced by another. It was reported at the time in the Argus, so either they
should have done their homework better, or they're knowingly peddling false
propaganda.
I do not think any party in Brighton or anywhere else has all the answers,
but I joined a political party because I was fed up with the status quo and
wanted to make a difference. There are very few examples of Independents being
successful (BHCC only has one) so the best chance of making a difference is by
joining a political party, and I joined the one that best fits my views.
Before we knock any party, however, we should understand that each one is
nothing but the sum of its participants. In each there will be a few rotten
eggs, some more than others, but each one also has dedicated people who care
about their society and want to make it better. Just how, though, is a matter
for great discussion...
Tom Druitt
Sharon <<email obscured>> wrote:
I'm not sure that the new school system is the answer either. I know you
make reference to the 'long term solution', but there's no reason why the
long term couldn't have been considered along with the new changes.
There seems to be nothing other than political will and money preventing all
the schools being brought up to an excellent standard (not down to an
average one), (and opening new ones where needed) which is by far the
preferred solution, rather than having kids travelling across the city in
cars adding to the already unpleasant pollution and deciding their future by
lottery.
Excellent local schools for local children surely would be best?
Tom, you're standing in Hollingbury? I wonder what will happen when some
of the parents there discover that a lottery means that actually their kids
can't walk to Varndean, but have to be ferried several miles to another
school.
A question .. I have just received an election leaflet from Brighton & Hove
Independents in Withdean. They say, in a column about the school lottery,
"....this year's plans for a lottery were approved after both Labour and
Greens sacked councillors who were going to vote against them from the
committee."
I was aware of the dirty tricks from Labour, but had no idea that the Greens
played pathetic political games like this too - is it true?
Sharon
Rest of post
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Druitt [mailto:<email obscured>]
...... On schools, the new system is the very opposite of what you say - it
gives a level playing field to all families regardless of class or income
and this is why the Green Party, after much consideration and an
acknowledgement that it was not the perfect long-term solution but an
important improvement, voted for it. Under the old system, wealthier
families could 'buy' themselves places if they could afford houses next to
the good schools; this is not possible any more.
Regards
Tom Druitt
Sharon McLean
Brighton
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