"Education is not a cost. It's an investment."
Save Hull Schools

by Martin J Deane, 21.2.05

The proposed closure of 9 Hull primary schools (including 2 for 'amalgamation') is causing great concern to communities across Hull.

Hull City Council plans to close Newland Ave, St Charles, St George's, Coleford, Constable, Midmere, and The Dales.

'Amalgamation' sounds better than closure, but in fact Lambwath, and probably Oldfleet schools will be closed, with all involved moved to other local schools, Neasden and Mountbatten, and the former sites developed.

In total Hull City Council is proposing that 12  primary schools be closed, some to reopen as amalgamated schools. One, Maybury, to  be completely rebuilt.

But a primary school is often the heart of its local community, one of those focal points that there are too few of these days, when community is under so much threat from a variety of social trends.

Officials talk of falling numbers, birth rates and population drift and projections. What they don't say is that smaller class sizes, and lower teacher-pupil ratios help children learn better, or that each of these schools has its own feel and unique sense of tradition.

Moving 1500 children into other schools will mean class sizes increase, children's education will suffer in the transition itself, and there will be disruption to all those thousands of  relationships established over years, between children and friends, and teachers and parents.

Such trust and tradition is vital for children and is at the heart of a community, and especially a family primary school.

Since 1997, the Labour government has overseen the closure of about 200 primary schools every single year.

Meanwhile the number of children in these age ranges has stayed roughly constant. What is going on?

I joined the Green Party to stand for Parliament in the Hull North area.

Green Party policy is very definitely "small is beautiful", and this applies to education moreso than many other areas.

Each of these schools should be kept and strengthened in the tireless work that parents and staff do for the children of each community.

Vote Green for someone to fight your corner. And keep on fighting.