Reading Labour's education failure

At tonight’s Reading Borough Council’s meeting the Labour administration chose to debate the supposed lack of legislative business in the Queen’s speech for the remaining part of the current Government.

Although in general it was fairly pointless, I could not let the opportunity pass to stand up for my residents and all the many families across the town failed by both the local Labour administration and the last Labour government.

This is what I said:

      “This Labour administration has failed to deliver a new school for families in my Ward, residents who for decades have had no realistic chance or very little of a primary place at a local catchment school.  Michael Gove’s reforms have enabled residents to right that long-standing wrong. 

       In addition Mr Gove’s reforms have enabled WREN [actually ASAG - see update below] to set up the “outstanding” rated All Saints Junior School in Brownlow Road.  Of course there is WREN’s secondary school bid which was successful and hopefully will be making progress after last week’s decision by the High Court. 

       The Conservative-led Coalition has and is investing in, to list 3 more: 

         ·         Reading University Technical College (UTC)
·         New school building for Reading Girls School
·         The eagerly awaited Maiden Erlegh 2 

        Mr Mayor, to respond to what Cllr Ennis said earlier, Mr Cumpsty was expressing a personal opinion and does not speak for this [Conservative] Group.  His statements in the press appear to be influenced by his home being 2 doors away from the site that the DfE has bought for The Heights primary school. 

        So Mr Mayor this Government is not only clearing up the mess of the last government’s failure to provide sufficient school places, but also is giving Reading’s families a wider offer of educational provision.”

Update: I have been corrected on All Saints Junior School's location which is in Brownlow Road, Downshire Square.  Also the parents who set the school up had the anacronym ASAG = All Saints Action Group.  Some of these parents went on to form the WREN group.