Tonight councillors will vote on the proposals to change our schools system. Some of them have read the report and found the holes in the educational and financial arguments. All of them are aware of the strength of opinion of parents against change.
What is clear now is that councillors do not need to support three tier education to vote against this proposal – they are voting for or against this particular implementation plan.
Where the plan fails desperately to convince is on primary finance. As the public sector moves towards times of austerity, we are going to spend every last penny from education budgets on ideological change rather than teaching and learning. The irony is that even then we won’t have sufficient money to effect the change successfully.
We know what happens when underfunded change occurs – the number of underperforming schools in Northampton demonstrates this very clearly.
We know that the Conservative administration of Suffolk County Council is so worried that BSF funding will be reduced or scrapped after the next election that they have stopped in the middle of their change from three-tier to two-tier.
We also know that the vote tonight will be very close, so close that it may be decided on the casting vote.
We can only hope that sufficient councillors have decided that the report cannot be implemented without creating financial chaos in Bedford Borough’s schools.
Save Middle Schools - The Blog 
Full council have voted by 19 votes to 17 to move to 2-tier in the Borough.
Speechless, roll on 2011.
So when standard start to slip and it wont take long! As teachers and other staff jump ship out of what is about to become one huge building site / disaster zone, are those 19 councillors volunteering to be held accountable, especially when Parents take the Borough to court claiming their decision to change systems has substantially disadvantaged their child/children’s future / education / childhood???
The 17 Councillors who voted to retain the current system should be commended for having the intelligence and common sence to see how flawed this entire process has been and how disastrous this change will be!
This result sickens me, and leaves nothing but a bad taste in my mouth! All those who have supported this change should be ashamed of themselves! Perhaps the Harpur Trust should re-think their decision about merging the two Private Girl’s schools, following this decision I dare say the number of applicants for places at those schools is going to BOOM! In fact the whole Private Education Sector in Bedford just got an early Christmas present!
Very disappointing, what about all the small lower schools? No way they will all stay open, so the little kids will be on buses. And closing all Middle Schools? Arnold Middle in Barton has been fantastic for my kids, not having to cope with 16 year olds at the age of 11 is a big bonus.