Council 13th July – Leaders Question 1 – The Oldham Education Commission
Mr Mayor, the end of the current school year is very nearly upon us.
My first question to the Leader tonight concerns the Oldham Education Commission and the pathetically slow progress made so far in implementing its recommendations.
In fact the story of the Commission seems to have unveiled at the pace of a lethargic tortoise from inception.
The Commission was established over two years ago by our former Leader at a launch in June 2014.
An interim report promised in January 2015 failed to materialise.
A second interim report promised in September 2015 failed to materialise.
Then, when we on this side of the Chamber called for immediate publication, the December 2015 by-election was cited as reason to hold it up still further.
Finally in early 2016, the report saw the light of day. Given the delay, anyone would have thought we were trying to compete with the Chilcott Enquiry.
Now, Mr Mayor, you would have thought that, armed with its nineteen recommendations, our political and educational establishment would have been chomping on the bit to get going and make our schools great?
Like the mobile phone ad which urges us to be more dog, you would have thought that everyone involved would be saying we want to see the back of that lethargic tortoise and bring on the energetic hare. But no, the tortoise seemingly prevails.
Mr Mayor, two years have passed.
Two years in which the children of our Borough have been failed.
Two years during which the Head of Ofsted reported that only a third of our children are able to study at ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ schools, less than half the national average.
Two years in which too many of our primary pupils have been taught in classes over 30.
Two years in which one in five children have not got a place at their first choice of secondary school.
And two years in which our level of educational achievement has languished below the national average.
Even last month I was disappointed when a report about Oldham’s Education Provision Strategy 2016 – 2020 was withdrawn from the agenda of an Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting.
A report that constituted over half the business; and the meatier half at that running to more than 100 pages, but as I said withdrawn!
Mr Mayor, like the Chair of the Commission, Baroness Estelle Morris, I share the view that “a good education is crucial to the future success of Oldham.”
My first question to the Leader tonight is therefore when is she going to set that hare running – when are things going to happen to make education in Oldham better and then hopefully great for all our children?
After all they deserve nothing less!
Council 13th July – Leaders Question 2 – College Merger may Jeopardise Student Prospects
Mr Mayor, my second question tonight is also concerns education.
And if I were still permitted three questions I would have made them all on ‘education, education, education’ – for it should be an issue at the forefront of the minds of all of us in the Chamber.
My question concerns the future prospects for the older students in our Borough, students looking to study at Oldham College on a vocational course.
We are aware of the discussions that are ongoing between Oldham, Tameside and Stockport Colleges to create a new single entity covering East Manchester.
Oldham College seeks to provide a range of technical and professional courses in our Borough to local students.
And we are aspiring as a Borough to create a highly skilled workforce for the future.
So surely having a local educational offer of vocational courses for our Borough’s students must surely feature within our strategy?
Is this merger more about the survival of these three currently independent colleges in the on-going so called Area Review?
Whose interest is it really in?
My fear is that the merger will lead to the courses that we need being taken away from our students who need them – and that many will find it difficult to access provision in Tameside and Stockport.
A merger must surely then reduce our students’ choices and erect un-necessary barriers to students continuing their education and training?
And why Tameside and Stockport? Metrolink links us directly to Rochdale.
So my second question to the Leader tonight is what reassurance can she give me that the Council is working at the highest level to ensure that the vocational offer available to students living, and wishing to study, in our Borough will be maintained in a local centre based in our Borough, come what may?
Or will local provision go the way of the courts and tax office – I sincerely hope not!