Melton Conservatives are today squabbling over who is responsible for the shambles that is the Melton Schools Review.
Speaking to the Melton Times, Melton North County Councillor, Pam Posnett has attacked the her fellow Conservative County Councillors over the Melton Schools Review, saying ‘I understand the financial side of it but Conservative Party policy is for small schools so I find myself at odds with some of my fellow councillors“.
Melton South County Councillor, Peter Roffey, on the other hand, is calling for the gradual phasing out of King Edward’s, saying ”If the eventual decision is to close King Edward VII I would ask that is it done gradually so we don’t disrupt children’s education more than will happen anyway.“
Meanwhile, County Councillors Byron Rhodes and Joe Orson are both suggesting that they can’t express a view while the consultation period is underway. It is ironic then that Councillor Rhodes goes on to say that he doesn’t hold out much hope of the school surviving when he asks ”how do we deal with the issue of too few parents choosing King Edward VII school… and if it continues as a small school how do we pay for it?“
So what can we make of this hodgepodge of views. The first thing to note is that none of the Melton County Councillors seem to have a clue what is going on with King Edward VII school, and each of them is coming at this issues from their own foxhole. Councillor Posnett has been elected by the people of Melton North, but seems to be representing a school that is outside of the Melton North ward and catchment areas. Meanwhile, Peter Roffey, recently seen dodging the cameras before attending a Town Estate Meeting, really doesn’t seem to have a view on the proposal, and just wants to see the school wound down with a minimum of fuss. As for Councillor Rhodes, well being a member of the cabinet doesn’t seem to have registered with him. After all he will be making the decision, so he might want to think of some stronger arguments before he continues to blame the parents of Melton for a mess that was created by the County Council.
I can’t think of a clearer example of Conservative Party incompetence, if this is what they are doing to Melton, the rest of Leicestershire aught to beware.
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