"Education, education, education." Three words which will come to haunt Labour in Medway.
Knock three times on Medway‘s door, and see what the government have been up to. Sad to say there is precious little of it for the benefit of Medway people.
Look at education 2003. There was a £3·6 million shortfall of government money, and Medway council tax payers had to foot the bill.
There was a choice in Medway: sack teachers and class room assistants, or pay the extra tax. Let education standards plummet, or maintain them out of the public purse.
Medway‘s Conservatives asked us all to pay more to thwart the incompetence of central government.
Then there was education 2004. This time the government said that we would get more money, but what they failed to point out was that every other service in Medway would have to be cut to pay for it.
So we again maintain standards in our schools. But to do so we have lost a whole raft of services which we all hold dear.
Then came 2004—the remake. The government—through the Learning and Skills Council reveal another ruse no doubt aimed at abolishing Medway‘s grammar schools.
A giant sixth form college may seem a good wheeze for the government‘s civil servants, but in practical terms it means disruption on a grand scale and more uncertainty for school children, teachers and parents.
As ever, when it comes to education the government will throw money at the problems—just so long as it is the council taxpayers money! If the money helps to dumb down education, and start a stalking horse aimed at doing away with our best schools all well and good.
In Medway we have seen over the last couple of years just how determined the government is to interfere in everything we do—whether by imposing more demands or taking our money and sending it to Labour councils in the north.
This year they even told us we could not raise enough money to do the very things we were elected to do last May. Improve services, and make Medway a better place.
We look forward to Labour‘s education plans for Medway in 2005 with concern. Whatever the outcome you can be sure who will be footing the bill!