News that the future of Vale of Berkeley College is under threat of closure by the Labour Government is bad news for the parents, pupils, staff and the locality.

Neil Carmichael, Parliamentary Candidate for Stroud, said, “We must have a proper consultation over the future of the Vale of Berkeley College rather than just let a Labour Minister close it by default”.

Neil added, “In future, decisions about opening, shutting and expanding schools should be a matter for local people, especially parents. The Conservative approach to education provision is modelled on the Swedish system of independent state schools being set up by parents and not for profit organisations to match local needs and priorities.”

Tags: Berkeley, Education, Schools, Vale of Berkeley College

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 12:08 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Vale of Berkeley College – closure threat”

1. sally beresford-barnes

   i am so upset about this , my son is due to leave his primary not sept 10 but in sept 11. he has learning difficulties, and has a statement. we have already ruled out our local school for his seconary education, due to size of classes and the way special needs children are lost in the system.
   my husband and i have already visited vale of berkeley college, and found it to b a brilliant school for learning due to the attention the pupils recieve due to the smaller class sizes, and the attitude of the staff. they have the approuch that every child has an ability to do something and that something is worth while.
   my son will not do well in a big school , n surely alot of children at berkeley vale will be the same.. this would be criminal to close a school that offers so much to so many children who will become just a number in anyother school… please do your best for us the people who want the best for our children, and instead of looking at league tables, look deeper and see that sometimes childrens needs come well before money and legue tables..
   i am hoping that next open day i will be attending with my son, who will enjoy his secondery shool and thrive rather than fail , and be unhappy in what would be a frightening , large school and our only option if berkeley vale where to close. your faithfully sally beresford-barnes.

   October 20th, 2009

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