Letter: Class concerns in Warwickshire: why should rural communities lose out?

Mrs Barbara Pointon
Monday 10 October 1994 18:02 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Sir: When is a surplus place not a surplus place ('County cuts to hit over 60 schools', 7 October)? To the Government and the Audit Commission, no doubt surplus places occur when the number of children in any class falls below the magic 30. This, they pronounce, should be 'rectified'. But to a discerning parent, 'surplus places' means small classes - a highly desirable factor in choosing a school.

Warwickshire's got it wrong. Instead of closing schools because of 'surplus places', they should be trumpeting out that their county prides itself on supporting smaller-than-average classes, with all the educational benefits that brings.

Those of us who live in rural areas also know that the population of children can fluctuate widely over 20 years; villages where schools were closed in the early Seventies through a similar short-sighted policy now have several busloads of children shipped out every day.

As for class size, the political party that dares to pledge itself to work towards classes of no more than 20 children for infants and 25 thereafter is on to a winner, not only with parents, but with all those who appreciate that more individual attention in the precious formative years of learning might reduce the huge bills for special needs later on. If Warwickshire's proposed action results in significantly larger classes, then the saving of pounds 4m may be largely illusory.

Yours faithfully,

BARBARA POINTON

Thriplow

Cambridgeshire

7 October

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in