Kirklees Lib Dems opposing their own government’s school plans

Jul 27 2010 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

LIB Dem councillors are opposing their own government’s schools policy.

Education secretary Michael Gove announced earlier this month that Labour’s £55bn national school building plan had been axed.

The controversial move meant high schools in Kirklees missed out on £400m of improvements.

Labour has attacked the abolition of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme by the new Conservative / Lib Dem coalition government.

And now Lib Dem councillors in Kirklees have criticised Mr Gove.

They are backing a motion at tomorrow’s monthly council meeting which expresses “dismay” at the education secretary’s decision.

The motion adds: “The decision of the Secretary of State to cut the proposals without consultation or suggesting any feasible alternative way forward is not acceptable.”

Almondbury Lib Dem Clr John Smithson helped draw up the motion.

He said: “Secondary school buildings across the borough still need bringing into the 21st century if we are going to provide a broad, relevant and engaging curriculum for young people.”

Clr Smithson, a former Kirklees Cabinet member for schools, agreed with some of Mr Gove’s criticisms of BSF.

He said: “I agree that the programme was overly bureaucratic, costly and too centrally controlled but the answer is to reform the programme not cancel it altogether.

“The decision has been taken too quickly with no consultation or consideration of the impact it will inevitably have on the future viability of schools, teaching and learning in Kirklees.