Opposition politicians attack council over schools report findings (From Haringey Independent)
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Lib Dems attack Haringey Borough Council over schools report findings
4:37pm Thursday 14th February 2013 in News By Bruce Thain
Haringey Borough Council leader Claire Kober
Opposition councillors say an independent schools report released today shows many children in the borough are being “short-changed”.
The response comes following the publication of the independent Haringey Education Commission's report Outstanding for All.
The commission was set up to make recommendations to the council about the future of schooling in the borough.
As one of its key findings the report said: “Overall, there is too much variation in the quality of education across the borough, an erosion of confidence in the authority and a lack of co-ordination in services for schools.”
Liberal Democrat councillor Katherine Reece said: “The report is an honest and challenging assessment of the state of education in Haringey.
“But I am concerned that the council needed to commission such a report at all. We and others have been saying for years that the education system in Haringey is simply not good enough and needs to be improved.
“Haringey’s children all deserve an excellent education. Unfortunately this independent report confirms that many children in the borough are being short-changed.
“The Labour leadership of the council must take responsibility for its failure to provide an excellent education for all. They must ensure that the recommendations in the report are urgently implemented.”
This morning at the official publication of the report, council leader Claire Kober pledged all schools in the borough would receive Ofsted's highest two ratings of good or outstanding within three years.
Alan Stanton says...
6:54pm Thu 21 Feb 13
Cllr Reece should have said:
The Report of the Haringey Education Commission is excellent. It repeats what I and Cllr Richard Wilson LibDem Leader have repeatedly said. So we are not surprised at anything in it. Nor do we feel a need to add anything as I will explain.
You ask what the LibDems would do? I've already set out my answer fully and frankly. Haringey children deserve an excellent education. This sound-bite message is clear and straightforward. The action needed is equally clear and straightforward. In those of our schools where education is not excellent it should be improved until it is.
So we do not need fresh proposals or new ideas. Indeed the LibDems don't need to come up with any ideas at all. That would be a distraction from the vital core task of achieving excellence in every school. Besides, this report is quite enough for me and Richard Wilson to do some effective party political point scoring.
Cllr Kober should have said:
I came up with the idea for an Education Commission at a crucial time for Haringey. Both I and Cllr Lorna Reith (then cabinet councillor for Children's Services) realised that we didn't have a clue what to do about Education in Haringey.
So Lorna and I went our separate ways and my Education Commission offered a means of putting things off for as long as possible.
Well, the months have rolled by and now my Commission's Report is here. I have to say that am delighted.
I welcome it warmly and have thanked my Commission members effusively for allowing me to sit on my hands while all sorts of tricky decisions needed making. Well done.
What do I think of the Report? I would say that we're on a journey. Therefore it is very unlikely that we will start from a place we want to be. On this vital journey I will have conversations with those who agree with me. And with a few misguided people who do not. I pledge to take the former on board.
But in any case, politics is all about communication. Because I am an optimistic person who sees each of my failures as a new opportunity for a narrative of success.
Anticipating some mixed messages in the Report, my spin doctors have worked hard and prepared two excellent Press Releases. One – sadly unused - describes many Haringey schools which are doing well and how my excellent far-sighted Commission fully backed my inspired leadership.
The other explained how well many of our schools are performing and how my inspired leadership took a brave risk and should now be applauded for accepting the warts 'n' all criticism by the Commission.
As you know, I have solemnly pledged that Ofsted will pronounce every Haringey school good or outstanding within three years. Am I confident this can be achieved? Of course not.
Plainly, nobody can predict what Ofsted will report, especially if Michael Gove changes the criteria again. Nor can I do much about those schools converted to academies.
With the others is anyone certain what went into their school dinners last week? No. So will Ladbroke's even give odds on my achieving my pledge?
But it's said that a week is a long time in politics. So let me be completely frank and say that three years is quite a bit longer. In particular it's well past the next Council elections.
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As made up by Alan Stanton
Tottenham Hale ward councillor