A New Chapter?

There has been an issue with a couple of Strood's secondary schools for a while now. The question of what to do about (a) falling rolls and (b) the problems that Temple Boys' School had for a time is a tricky one.

The falling rolls business has been around for a few years now, owing to reduced birth rates that have impacted primary schools in recent years. This is now (unsurprisingly) shifting to secondary schools, as the reduced number of primary-age children come of age to progress to secondary level.

Okay, all of this is fairly obvious, when one knows a bit of the background. The problem is: what to do in the most acute situations such as in Strood, where one previously-failing secondary school (Temple) needs action to keep it viable.

Nearby is Chapter School, the female half of the Strood secondary-level equation. That school has a really good (and well-earned) reputation. Interestingly, both these schools have rather poor school buildings, and both could do with some new build. Unfortunately, the Government programme of "building schools for the future" has passed Medway by completely.

It is said that Medway will be included in this programme in or around the year 2016; but anyone who has been watching such initiatives in recent years will be well aware that they are always dropped after a few years -- once there are no more headlines in the offing. Therefore it is wise to assume that this will in reality never happen.

Meanwhile, where does this leave Strood's secondary schools? Well, frankly, it leaves them nowhere.

The small intake each year at Temple School makes it unviable in future, and it is an obligation on the Local Education Authority (LEA, which is Medway Council) to resolve the present situation. Under the prevailing circumstances, this seems to be possible only by merging with Chapter School. Interestingly, the principle of this is generally accepted, though not at a rush.

The problem here is that the LEA is required by Government diktat to deal with this matter pronto, and will not be allowed to phase a gradual change over a number of years, which would be our preference, and the preferred way according to (in particular) Chapter School's pupils, parents and staff. It's the way I'd personally prefer to go, remembering how my school was suddenly transformed into a Comprehensive School back in 1966, with the scrapping of its sixth form.

Reading the (socialist) writing on the wall, I gave up school, after a year of studying for A-levels, and went off to work instead. Again, that was a Labour Government diktat that dragged my (top of the area) secondary school down to the lowest (as it had been amalgamated with the worst in the area). No longer did we have precision metalwork as a craft: it became bricklaying (I kid you not -- I was there!)

This is why I have great sympathy with the SOCKS campaign that Chapter School has initiated, and am saddened that matters have been geared toward turning both schools into a merged so-called "Academy". Personally, I'd be prepared to forego the investment in new buildings if that would solve the problems and get the outside dictators off the schools' back. It has been made very clear to us that it would not. It isn't an option.

Now, to be fair, the Academies that are now being set up are a lot better than the first wave, and I have to admit are actually rather good! The shame about it all is that it is the only way to secure the necessary investment (and a direct conversation with the relevant Government Minister has confirmed this) especially for the new buildings that will be required to avoid the Government intervening directly and taking control of at least Temple (and eventually possibly both schools) away from local people.

Yes, it's a form of blackmail, and yes, it is not ideal; but if we retain control here, we can make it work well. However one feels about the Academy option, as things stand today it is the least bad option by far -- but that shouldn't be the case! Let this be a lesson in whether to allow outsiders of any kind to dictate to us, because that is the one and only really fundamental question.

Remember: I was here myself, some forty years ago. If you want to look it up, it was the amalgamation of my school (Canterbury Road) and Garth School, both in Morden, Surrey, in 1966. I therefore know what it's like, and will always work towards the best possible way forward, in spite of the pressures and threats aimed at us here on the Council whose intent is to undermine rather than to enhance.

In the words of Mr Bester in the Babylon 5 third-series episode Ship of Tears: "I won't have it!"