Public Meeting: Coventry Says NO To Academies

Around a hundred teachers, parents and campaigners gathered for a public meeting at the Triumph Social Club about the governments Academy plans. Union officials and Anti-Academy reps addressed those in attendance as the urgency concerning Coventry schools rushed plans to become academies hit home.

Parents expressed their concern at the lack of consultation and parents and young people from the Charterhouse Fields explained how Blue Coats becoming an academy had become an issue over 'land grab' in their area. Teachers spoke about their fears and concerns, not only about their future working conditions but about the process of consultation - or lack of it!

Everyone at the meeting was in agreement about the need to step up an urgent campaign to highlight the dangers that academies will bring to education in Coventry. Tile Hill Wood teachers urged parents and campaigners for support as they continue their fight to save Tile Hill Wood school from becoming an academy within the next few weeks. Teachers at the school will be holding a lunch time picket at the school gates on Thurs 26th May and Friday 27th May from 12.30pm and many from the meeting offered support for the teachers as they try and reach parents and pupils about the situation facing education and the role of academies.

Many questions and points were raised during the discussion, some from concerned parents and some from teachers. It became clear that the academies programme is a one way route that is being rushed through with little or no consultation between school governors and teachers/parents/pupils. It was agreed that Coventry would set up an Anti-Academies group as a matter of urgency, working with teaching unions, parents and the Anti-Academy Alliance. Coventry Against The Cuts supporters were at the meeting and we will be linking up with the Coventry Anti-Academies group in raising awareness for all those concerned with the future of education in our city.

For more info about Academies visit: www.teachers.org.uk/academies and www.antiacademies.org.uk

Public Meeting: How Will Academies Affect My Child?

SAVE OUR SCHOOLS-

NO TO ACADEMIES!

Tile Hill Wood, Woodlands, Westwood, Caludon Castle, Blue Coat, Lyng Hall, Finham Park and Whitley Abbey Schools are making moves towards academy status.  The decision to convert these schools into academies is being made by their governing bodies without any meaningful consultation with staff, parents, pupils and the local community. Teachers at Tile Hill Wood and The Woodlands schools feel so strongly against this that they have already taken strike action.

We are appealing to you to trust us, as teachers and support staff who know our schools and know our pupils, in opposing this change.  We believe it is not good for education in this city.
 

Save Our Schools from Jason N. Parkinson on Vimeo.

Some of the reasons we are opposed to our schools converting to academies:

·        Our schools should be owned by the whole community, not a private unelected Board Of Trustees.

·        Contrary to school claims, there is no extra government funding available to academies.

·        The schools will lose the protection and support of the Local Authority. The damage to the Local Authority will greatly affect the most disadvantaged pupils in the city and those schools in the most deprived areas.

·        Staff pay, terms and conditions can be changed in academies.  This could lead to increased staff turnover and could damage the continuity of your child’s education.

·        Loss of city wide co-ordination of admissions and educational practice which could threaten comprehensive education.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?  ATTEND THE MEETING ON 25 MAY AND CONTACT THE CHAIR OF GOVERNORS AND HEADTEACHERS OF THE SCHOOLS LISTED ABOVE TO TELL THEM WHAT YOU THINK OF THEIR PLANS.

Public Meeting:

Wednesday 25^th May 7.00pm

The Standard Club

Herald Avenue,  Canley    CV5 6UB  

(Opposite Sainsbury’s)

How will Academies affect my Child?

An open meeting for anybody concerned about local Coventry schools pursuing Academy status.

The schools are not letting you have your say.  This is your chance to make your views heard.

Speakers include:

Kevin Courtney - Deputy General Secretary NUT

Teachers from Tile Hill Wood and Woodlands Schools

A speaker from the Anti Academies Alliance

Speakers from Charterhouse Fields Campaign

Trade Union Representatives

To join the campaign to save Tile Hill and Woodlands Schools, please contact us:

coventry.nut@btconnect.com

or sign the petition at:

www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveourschoolscoventry/

Coventry Rape And Abuse Victims Face Funding Cuts

Coventry Telegraph reports on the effects government funding cuts will have on rape and domestic abuse victims in Coventry. Mary Griffin writes......
Academics have measured the impact of the spending squeeze on the city and found that vulnerable women, including victims of abuse, will be the hardest hit.

As cash is being cut from the prosecution service, as well as from Legal Aid and services for women experiencing violence, the report suggests there will be fewer prosecutions of offenders, more ongoing mental, physical and sexual health problems for women and more women trapped in violent relationships.

Produced by Warwick University’s Centre for Human Right’s in Practice, in partnership with newly formed lobby group Coventry Women’s Voices, the report also finds that changes to tax and benefits will cost women in Coventry £30 million, while the cost to men will be less than half that - at just £12 million.

Mary-Ann Stephenson, chair of Coventry Women’s Voices, said: “We’ve already got very high levels of violence against women - the figures in Coventry are shocking.

“Those women are going to be hit on all sides and for some of them it’s going to be devastating.

“In Coventry, CRASAC (Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre), Coventry Haven and other services are all facing cuts.

“There are also cuts for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service, and the number of specialised officers dealing with domestic violence in Coventry is being reduced.


“At the same time, welfare benefit cuts will make women more financially dependent on their partners.”

The report says reducing welfare benefits means women will be forced to be more dependent on men and will find it harder to leave violent relationships.

It states that cuts to housing benefit, for example, could make it harder for women to move away from their attacker.

The researchers also believe budget cuts within the NHS are expected to reduce the level of support available to victims of violence.

Ms Stephenson said: “The cost to women in Coventry from tax and benefits alone is more than double the cost to men - and it’s not all women that are paying the price, it’s the poorest and the most vulnerable that will be having their benefits cut.

“Overall equality will get worse because women’s wages will fall more than men’s.

“We are calling for recognition that these cuts will disproportionately impact women and affect equality.

“The government has to do an equality impact assessment and we think they need to look at the broader context of these cuts.”

Story: Coventry Telegraph