Leading trade unionists quizzed the Isle of Wight’s education cabinet member on Wednesday evening over five contentious school closure proposals and potential job losses.
Secretary of Unison’s Isle of Wight branch Mark Chiverton expressed disquiet over the likelihood of over “200 compulsory redundancies”, while Duncan Morrison, branch secretary of the Isle of Wight National Education Union, claimed an “economy with the truth” had “pervaded” the process followed for reaching a decision on the proposed closures.
The trade union leaders posed questions to Cllr Jonathan Bacon at an extraordinary meeting of full council which was called to allow councillors a chance to debate the issuing of closure notices for Arreton St George’s CE Primary School, Brading CE Primary School, Cowes Primary School, Oakfield CE Primary School and Wroxall Primary School.
Mr Chiverton said:
“If the current proposals to close five schools is driven through, it’s increasingly clear that there’s likely to be in excess of 200 compulsory redundancies of teachers and support staff.
“Given the immense cumulative experience and longstanding commitment of these staff, how can there not be a real risk to the future of children’s education as a result of the loss of these skills?”
Cllr Bacon replied: “Every effort is going to be made to keep all the talented teaching staff and we have many on the Island. There are going to be alternative jobs potentially available.
“This consideration is a key one which we have in mind at all times. This is about the education strategy and ensuring children have the best education possible and part of that is having the staff to educate them.”
Mr Morrison said:
“Given at the beginning of this process, members were told in meetings that the academies would be included in the process, given that in this very council chamber we were told the diocese was fully involved in the process, given the economy with the truth that has pervaded this process, are councillors confident to go on? It should be paused.”
Cllr Bacon responded:
“I am confident – I said that very clearly when cabinet was asked to consider the publication of the current (closure) notices in December. And as a previous answer has said, the dioceses, while not part of the decision making, have been involved through out this, both prior to original publication and since.
“It is a failing of the system that academies can take their own course. It was sought to include academies as has been published a number of times. Academies were approached to be part of this process – not just by the council but also by the Department for Education (DfE).”
He added the academies “chose not to be involved” and that the council and DfE had done all they could in relation to those bodies.
County Hall’s four-week statutory consultation on the proposed school closures finishes on February 3 and the cabinet will make a final decision on March 6.
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