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New research from Labour claims English primary schools will be short of approximately 500,000 places by 2015 unless at least 2,000 new schools are built in the next three years. Shadow Education Secretary Stephen Twigg called on the Government to act in Wednesday's Budget to deal with the "urgent crisis". This is picked up by the Guardian, with the Mail also having an article informing us how some local authorities are intending to cope in the next few years.
Twigg is being true to political form in that having been a member of the preceding government that exacerbated the problem with unlimited immigration, he conveniently fails to remember this and promptly blames the present government. As that Mail article shows, the NAO were reporting that in 1981 just 6% of the population, 3.4 million were foreign born; 2001: 4.9 million and 8%; and by 2009: 6.8 million - 11%. Those foreign born immigrants also produced children; with this report, also in the Mail reporting that 24.6% of births were to foreign born mothers, reaching 174,174 births in 2009 compared to 86,456 in 1998.
This story has now resulted in what usually happens, namely a war of words between a member of the last government and a member of this government with both of them wringing their hands and in effect saying not my fault, Guv. How long have we been suffering politicians, through ideological policies, creating problems which then, later, require solving, those solutions requiring yet more money being taken from taxpayers. And still it continues with Cameron only yesterday informing us of his 'vision' for our country - albeit one mainly dictated by our Masters in Brussels. What struck me with his speech yesterday is he proposes pressing ahead without doing the one thing he says he should. Witness:
"........we should ask instead: what is it that people want for the future?"
Instead of informing us of his next five year plan as part of our democratised/elective dictatorship, perhaps Dav il Cam should do just what he suggests - bloody ask us what we want for the future?
Just saying.................
From Politics Home we learn that the incoming head of Ofsted has backed the idea of local commissioners being set up to spot problems and oversee changes to failing schools. In an interview with The Times, Sir Michael Wilshaw said there needed to be “some sort of intermediary bodies which can detect when things aren't going well”. Labour’s Stephen Twigg said his party would give “serious consideration” to the proposals. (my emphasis)
From the website of Ofsted (Who we are and what we do):
"Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. We report directly to Parliament and we are independent and impartial. We inspect and regulate services which care for children and young people, and those providing education and skills for learners of all ages. Every week, we carry out hundreds of inspections and regulatory visits throughout England, and publish the results on our website." (my emphasis)
Needless to say, it appears that Stephen is unable to 'Twigg' that this is just creating yet more public sector workers at a time when the government is attempting to cull that group - neither does he appear to question why, if additional 'Commissioners' are required, just what the hell have Ofsted being doing?
Just saying..............
