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06/07/2010

Roberta will continue fight as Tories/Lib Dems stop new Durham schools

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Roberta has pledged to her constituents that she will continue to campaign and lobby vigorously for the new Science Campus at Framwellgate Moor and the new academy at Belmont, despite the announcement yesterday by the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, that he is stopping these projects.

 

Roberta said,

 

"This is such a tragedy for education in Durham.  I am appalled that the Secretary of State, with a Lib Dem Minister at his side, told me in the House of Commons yesterday that Framwellgate School's really exciting science campus project will be stopped as well as the new academy at Belmont.

  

"Our young people deserve the best possible education, and part of that is being taught in good quality school buildings.  The new school at Durham Johnston shows what is possible, and I think children from across the City deserve that.


"The Framwellgate Science Campus is extremely disappointing in particular because science is such an important part of the curriculum and we should be encouraging more children to be enthusiastic about it.  In the coming decades we as a country need to be at the forefront of global science and hi-tech research so cutting projects like this one is very short-sighted.  The science campus would include a rebuilt secondary school and primary school as well as a new special educational needs school to replace Trinity.

  

"In terms of the academy we were extremely excited that a new partnership between Durham University and the County Council had been set up to take the new school forward.  I have already spoken to the Secretary of State to request a meeting with schools and relevant partners.


"I will continue to campaign for these school projects to continue in future spending rounds.  A huge amount of effort has been put into the schemes by the staff of the schools and the County Council but it is Durham's children that will lose out because of the disgraceful announcement by the Secretary of State."

 

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