I AM appalled at Kirklees Council's announced shake up of schools in North Kirklees and particularly in Mirfield.
As a parent with a child in Mirfield I find it incredible that Kirklees can at a stroke remove all elements of parental choice and condemn all Mirfield and Ravensthorpe Secondary pupils to a sub-standard educational environment that is inevitable in
a school of well over 2000 pupils.
Why meddle in Mirfield at all when other schools really do need help? Surely Kirklees needs to concentrate on schools with real problems?
Kirklees councillors are suggesting that they should close Castle Hall, one of the most successful and over-subscribed schools in Kirklees and at the same time destroy the very essence of Mirfield Free Grammar, the nearest alternative school. All current thinking is that smaller schools improve learning.
In Mirfield we currently have two excellent, reasonably sized schools with a choice of ethos and specialism. If Kirklees councillors have their way we will have one mega-school reminiscent of an inner city comprehensive, so massive that it is bound to reduce individual care of more vulnerable children. I have already heard taunts and accusations between pupils from the two schools – I pity the Castle Hall pupils and teachers who are to be effectively blighted, for what? – working hard and doing well!
If I was a cynical person I would think that Kirklees officers want to tidy up an administrative anomaly of two good schools close together and sell the prime housing land at Castle Hall for a fat profit all in one go. Of course it doesn't matter to Kirklees Tory's that the environment around MFG will become congested, noisy and unpleasant because they seem have given up on that community already.
I ask, will these changes improve our children's education? No! Will they improve parental choice? No! Will they improve our local environment? No!
Will they improve community spirit and cohesion? No! Then why do it?
I urge everyone reading this letter to contact Kirklees and your local councillors and object to these ill thought out, wholly unnecessary and divisive proposals before they become firm policy.
Please withhold my name and address as I do not want to attract any attention to my son – he has enough to worry about.
