The catholic school issue

It's not hard to get lost in the Great School Debate that's filling in the RTT front page and letters column, let alone several Facebook groups -and even this blog: On the LBRUT's catholic obsession.

In the latest amazing twist, the council issued a press release with a very personal and combative langage against the opposition figurehead, Jeremy Rodell: Secretary of State for Education confirms Council decision on Catholic Schools is lawful - London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
Not quite what you'd expect from a lord...

What's the issue then?
In a nutshell, the council is spending £8.5 millions to buy a site for a catholic school, to be run by the Diocese of Westminster (with a dotted line to the pope in Rome then). The admission policy means that with 10% of catholics in the borough, over 70% of pupils will be from outside. The council argued that there's no NEED for secondary schools, and that therefore I'd be nice to have a catholic school, as there are primary catholic schools but the secondary ones had long been closed.

Maybe I'm being naive, but I view this as simple supply and demand question. If there were more good grammar schools, surely parents would put their children in state schools instead of going private?

Richmond park given a rebuke on parties

The park is a very special place indeed, but it seems not everyone is in agreement on what that means.

The Friends of Richmond Park like it quiet. Very quiet. This time, they were not ranting about cyclists but had a gripe about a party held by Range Rover at the Royal Lower Ballet school. I actually quite agree this was way over the top we should leave deers and runners alone in the dark...  Good that they got their way. Mind you, they hold late night weddings at Pembroke Lodge -the extension disfigured it it to increase the capacity, not something the Friends care about apparently?

Royal Ballet School Range Rover Launch - YouTube

On the LBRUT's catholic obsession

There's been much coverage about the London Borough of Richmond plan to open a catholic secondary school.  It would be all well IF there was not a shortage of secondary school places in the borough, IF the council was not spending £8m to buy the site and hand it free to the diocese and IF catholics did not make just 10% of the borough's population.

Why this plan then? See my comment on Twickerati: Lord disappointed by acolyte

The council spending £8m to create a faith-school that will provide endoctrinationquality education for catholic pupils, 70% coming OUT of the borough.

Where's the democracy in there?

By the way, why did Lord True not disclose his interests (see above, his wife is catholic and heads up the SIR HAROLD HOOD'S CHARITABLE TRUST, whose aim is quite vaguely "To benefit such Roman Catholic Charitable purposes as the Trustees shall in their absolute discretion from time to time think fit".
This trust has £30m in the bank...

See also:

• RISC web site
• RISC facebook group
  
• RTT: Catholic school debate will go to the High Court
• RTT: Clifden Road site cost Richmond Council £8.45m
• RTT:Campaigners push ahead with Catholic school challenge
• RTT:Catholic school consultation starts tomorrow
• RTT:Catholic school and sixth form plans get Richmond Council approval
• RTT:Peppercorn rate proposal for Catholic school

Why were school closed today?

The weather reports were not that bad yesterday, yet most schools in Richmond were closed.
BBC NEWS | UK | Education | More schools 'might have opened'

Has common sense been abolished, and is the "health and safety culture" prevailing on the needs of working parents?

Better State Secondary Education in SW14 Petition

Another petition, this time for a new secondary school in Richmond. Quite strange indeed that the area is well deserved with primary school but not with secondary education:

Better State Secondary Education in SW14 Petition : [ powered by iPetitions.com ]


Tags: sheen, school, education, richmondtransits.blog, children, childcare