IWSSCA (IW Schools Sanity-Check Amendment) today launches a campaign to ensure that we do not commit too early to educational changes that may not deliver the sought improvement in standards.
The launch follows a brief teaser programme to engage IW councillors. This commenced with a psychologically challenging email entitled "Wisdom bounds over Pavlov's dog", eluding to the fact that councillors are encouraging to make their own evidence-based judgement and not just raise their arm when they hear an officer's recommendation in a council paper.
The areas of concern include the lack of programmed details of the other measures necessary to raise standards. Also, programme duration, funding, transitional arrangements, and contingency arrangements are not yet available. It is very important that any structure decision should not be construed as supporting the closure of any individual school.
A spokesperson for the movement said "There are so many unanswered questions that we are not at the stage for the full council to make a final decision. It may be valid for councillors to ask officers to concentrate on one structure, but any final go-ahead decision needs to be made by the full council once a credible programme has been planned."
Final wording of the amendment will not be possible until a week before the meeting of 19 March 2008. Draft wording is "Prior to formal consultation on a school by school basis, the policy agreement of the full council shall be obtained, and shall be dependent upon satisfactory presentation of a credible detailed plan." The amendment will need to be proposed by one councillor and seconded by a peer, prior to a vote upon its adoption.
Parents, other campaign groups, and interested parties are invited to embrace the campaign, to be known as the 'Sanity Check Amendment'. Individuals are encouraged to demonstrate their support by contacting their local councillor. The most direct method is by email with a subject line of the form "Sanity-Check Amendment support – Mr/Mrs X, High Street, Ventnor". Email addresses of councillors are available at http://www.iwight.com/
The movement may be contacted via IWSSCA@googlemail.com
IW Schools Sanity-Check Amendment
'Their future - It's in our hands'
