The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Chief Executive, Dr Wilkins, asking for the findings of the much-awaited Oldham Education Commission to be published before Christmas.

Cllr Sykes said: “After months of deliberations, an interim report was promised in January, it failed to materialise; then in the summer, a report was promised, it failed to materialise; now there have been yet further months of delay in its publication, and it has still to materialise.  This is beginning to look like Oldham’s Chilcot Report.”

“I understand that the publication of the report had to be placed on hold during the recent by-election, but we now have the result so there is no reason for a further delay until the new-year.”

“I know parents, teaching professionals, governors and elected members will be as keen as I am to see the findings – and more importantly we need to start to act upon them as soon as possible to improve the education made available to the children and young people of this borough; because the state of Oldham’s education has already been damned even before the publication.”

Cllr Sykes has been very concerned to see a steady decline in educational performance at many of Oldham’s schools since the change in Administration in 2011. He added: “This year we have had two damning Ofsted reports.  The first found that Oldham has the third highest number of infant pupils taught in classes of more than 30 and that our average junior class at almost 29 pupils is the seventh highest in the country.

“This was bad enough but in the last week, Sir Michael Wilshaw, Head of Ofsted, has cited Oldham as one of the sixteen education authorities with the lowest percentage of pupils able to study at ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ schools.  Only a third of our pupils are able to do so.”

“The reality is that under Labour this authority is failing to offer thousands of our children the education they deserve.  It is just not good enough.  If there was a school report on this Administration’s performance it would say ‘must do much better’.”

Cllr Sykes set out the Liberal Democrat vision for education in the borough:

“The Liberal Democrats firmly believe that all of our borough’s children and young people deserve an excellent education to enable them to reach their fullest potential in academia, in employment and as active citizens.  A good schooling opens doors for individuals so they can access further and higher education, become productive and well remunerated in the workplace, self-expressive and active citizens, and serve as positive parents and role models for their own children.”

“We hope that the Oldham Education Commission will also share this vision and identify the means to achieve it.  Let us hope that the report is soon published so that politicians from all parties can renew their efforts to do all in their power to assist in changing the current state of affairs.  The Liberal Democrats stand ready to do so”.

Copy of email to Dr Wilkins, Chief Executive of Oldham Council

Dear Dr Wilkins,

I am writing to you because I am concerned that Oldham Council wishes to hold over the publication of the much-awaited Oldham Education Commission report until the New Year, whenever that may be.

After months of deliberations, an interim report was promised in January, it failed to materialise; then in the summer, a report was promised, it failed to materialise; now there have been yet further months of delay in its publication, and it has still to materialise. This is beginning to look like Oldham’s Chilcot Report.

I understand that the publication of the report had to be placed on hold during the recent by-election, but we now have the result I can see no reason for a further delay until the New Year.  Delaying these weeks and months can only have an adverse impact upon our children, many of whom are just not getting anything like the standard and quality of education they deserve and to be blunt should expect nothing less.

I know parents, teaching professionals, governors and elected members will be as keen as I am to see the findings – and more importantly we need to start to act upon them as soon as possible to improve the education made available to the children and young people of this borough; because the state of Oldham’s education has already been heavily condemned by Ofsted in two reports in recent months.

It is simply not acceptable that almost two thirds of Oldham’s pupils are unable to study at a ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ school – we should and we must do better by the young people of this borough.

I look forward to receiving your reply and hopefully and early publication of this report.

Yours sincerely.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE