The Tory cabinet at County Hall intends handing over important services supporting schools to private operators.
The Learning and Achievement services, which have helped to raise standards in county schools, have always been provided by dedicated and experienced county education officers who know and understand the needs of our local schools.
The plan is to hand these services over, with less money to spend, to profit-making commercial companies.
Cllr Paul Denham, Labour opposition spokesman for Children and Families said, "There is considerably less money given to the council by the Conservative-led government, but simply asking private operators to run these essential services for less cannot guarantee the same level of support to our teachers and children. When the private companies' profits are taken out, there is even less cash left to help our schools. I have seen no evidence that the quality of these services can be maintained if this goes ahead. This is a strategy which puts our children's futures at unnecessary risk."
He added, "The cabinet document talks about "markets" but, as a former senior teacher, I believe that schools are not companies - they are taxpayer-funded public services which ought to be left to concentrate on educating our children, instead of having to negotiate with private service suppliers."
The Learning and Achievement services, which have helped to raise standards in county schools, have always been provided by dedicated and experienced county education officers who know and understand the needs of our local schools.
The plan is to hand these services over, with less money to spend, to profit-making commercial companies.
Cllr Paul Denham, Labour opposition spokesman for Children and Families said, "There is considerably less money given to the council by the Conservative-led government, but simply asking private operators to run these essential services for less cannot guarantee the same level of support to our teachers and children. When the private companies' profits are taken out, there is even less cash left to help our schools. I have seen no evidence that the quality of these services can be maintained if this goes ahead. This is a strategy which puts our children's futures at unnecessary risk."
He added, "The cabinet document talks about "markets" but, as a former senior teacher, I believe that schools are not companies - they are taxpayer-funded public services which ought to be left to concentrate on educating our children, instead of having to negotiate with private service suppliers."
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