Schools protesters target Princess Anne's Weston visit
Princess Anne will be greeted by Long Ashton school protesters as she visits Weston-super-Mare tomorrow.
Campaigners fighting for more school places in Long Ashton are holding a rally to embarrass councillors into action.
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The Princess Royal is visiting the Grand Pier to see the devastation caused by the fire in July and view plans for the rebuilding of the pavilion.
But placard-waving parents, members of Long Ashton Schools Crisis Group (LASCG), will be in Regent Street as the princess and local dignitaries make their way to the pier.
The group say they hope to raise awareness of a lack of places at Birdwell and Northleaze primary schools in the village with councillors attending the royal visit.
Last year, 23 Long Ashton children did not get a primary school place there, with many four-year olds having to catch the bus to other villages.
This year estimates are looking at the village schools being oversubscribed by 45 children by September 2009.
Parents have lobbied the council on the issue and handed over a 1200-name petition earlier this year.
LASCG spokesman Guy Kingston said: "We do not want to be disrespectful on a day when Princess Anne is visiting the resort, but we do want the council to realise we are not going to sit back and keep quiet about the issue."
North Somerset Council education leaders have pledged to find a solution and are investigating the possibility of installing temporary classrooms in Birdwell Primary.
But they say they cannot guarantee the measures being in place by the start of the new school year next September.
Mr Kingston has a three-year-old son who will not get a place in the village when he starts school next year and will have to go to Pill instead.
"I am not prepared for my son's education or sense of community to be destroyed because he cannot go to school in the village where he lives," said Mr Kingston.
LASCG chairman, Anna Oxberry, said: "This problem is only going to get worse as the demographics of Long Ashton are changing quickly, plus many more new homes are scheduled to be built in and around the village over the next few years.
"The longer the council leaves this, the much worse it will get."
The Long Ashton Schools Crisis Group has a website at www.lascg.org.uk, where concerned parents can register their support.
5 Comments
by Ross, Long Ashton
Monday, January 05 2009, 1:20PM
“The number of years now that the schools have been oversubscribed is ridiculous and requires addressing immediately.
The statistics are piling up against North Somerset Council, they know full well that the schools need expanding and seem to be waiting for a developer¿s pot.
The facts are extremely simple ¿ they know we need more school places and have agreed that we need more school places ¿ what are they waiting for?”
by Ross Skinner, Long Ashton
Monday, January 05 2009, 1:20PM
“The number of years now that the schools have been oversubscribed is ridiculous and requires addressing immediately.
The statistics are piling up against North Somerset Council, they know full well that the schools need expanding and seem to be waiting for a developer¿s pot.
The facts are extremely simple ¿ they know we need more school places and have agreed that we need more school places ¿ what are they waiting for?”
by Guy Kingston, Long Ashton
Sunday, January 04 2009, 9:45PM
“What I want to know is what are our two dead-wood councillors doing about this crisis.
As far as I can gather it's nothing.”
by John Macdonald, Long Ashton
Wednesday, December 31 2008, 8:17PM
“The article says "North Somerset Council education leaders have pledged to find a solution and are investigating the possibility of installing temporary classrooms in Birdwell Primary". But the problem came to light last January and there's little evidence of any real commitment so far. We've just heard that the council are no longer considering temporary classrooms and they won't fully provide for Long Ashton children until 1000 more new houses are built in the village! Since when was that agreed? And how long will it be until our children can get into a local school?!”
by Alexandra, Long Ashton
Friday, December 26 2008, 10:26PM
“The school is too small, there are more kids each year as families move into the new houses that the council let be built. How are people supposed to have a job with three way commute twice a day between Long ashton, Bristol and god- knows-where-they-will-send-my-child? Not computer sience: we are building a lot of new houses = we need to have a bigger school!”