I believe it is wrong of Sheffield City Council to resort to what amounts to blackmail in using that the city will lose money if they keep both Wisewood and Myers Grove schools open.
It states that Myers Grove has had an almost 50% decline in pupil numbers over three years, while Wisewood has a full pupil roll and parents waiting to get their children into the school.
So surely it makes absolute common sense to keep the Wisew
ood site open for the people who want their children to attend this school as the excuse of falling pupil numbers does not apply to this school?
I feel the council is making Wisewood the scapegoat purely because it wants to get its hands on the Government handouts and I ask why should my children have their freedom of choice taken away from them, just so this council can get a few million quid to allow others in the city keep their choices?
Mrs L Wilson, Hillsborough, Sheffield
A single new school capable of providing first-class educational facilities and teaching should be provided for the Stannington, Wisewood, Loxley and Walkley communities on the Myers Grove site. Refurbishment of existing buildings is not viable, nor will it be given financial government support.
Ian Wood
Actions of voters caused rethink
The proposal to close Wisewood School and replace Myers Grove School appeared to have been decided from the outset.
It was only the frustration of people in Hillsborough expressed at the ballot box that contributed to the hung council and the possibility of overturning the decision. The LibDems have opposed the proposal throughout including in their election manifesto. They can hardly be accused of stirring up trouble. Labour however, through their two deposed councillors (Veronica Hardstaff and Alf Meade), are actively supporting and promoting the Stannington campaign to resurrect the proposal and are thus attempting to pit community against community.
The Save Our Community Schools campaign has, from the outset, sought to support both schools. We believe the council and its officers have been very partial with both the facts and the interpretation of the situation in order to please the Government and meet Government stipulations.
Many of these have since turned out to be far more flexible than we were told. Small schools in other parts of the country are being rebuilt under current arrangements.
Toby Mallinson, Secretary, Save Our Community Schools
The full article contains 405 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
