Councillors and MPs has *The Tory/ Liberal Democrat Council leadership is busy doing the bidding of Blair in pushing all this through, and the leadership of the Labour Party is on board.
However,
ICCCIL "Compass" meeting was held in the Council House to discuss the Government's educational plans.
It attracted about sixty people and was well addressed by campaigners from the NUT, complete with antiacademy I-shirts, placards and leaflets.
Only one of the schools under threat is in an area near where Respect is standing for the Council, yet the issue of the Academies has featured in Respect campaigning literature. It is important the silence is broken and the local elections are a good way of doing that.
Talking to parents on the streets is very educational. A whole range of opinions are encountered, ranging from 'the school terrible, wouldn't send my kids there,
things only gel better' to a much more prevalent view that privatisation of education is a bad thing and could make things worse.
Ideas such as schools being about people rather than buildings, small class sizes, unstressed and confident teachers being invested in instead of glossy buildings -such things have cropped up on the stalls.
long overdue needs to be re-started, about education for the working class.
What should be taught? How should it be taught? How should schools be run?
New buildings are welcome of course, but they should be publicly owned and run.
Ally that with a suitable curriculum, investment in teachers and democratic accountability and we can start to offer a socialist vision for education against the neoliberal dumbed-down version now on offer. the park and land adjacent to the road, which is the site of burial of an East Saxon king.
Camp Bling is situated on the ancient burial site and has few months. It is occupied 24 hours a day and its residents are committed to non violently defending the camp. In addition to temporary living accommodation there is a wooden treehouse and watchtower on the camp site.
The road widening scheme is being promoted at a time when towns and cities are approaching gridlock through the weight of traffic and when alternatives to private road transport need urgently to be found. The estimated cost is at least £20 million at a time when budget cuts have forced bus services to be withdrawn and council jobs and services to be cut.
The Department for Transport will be making a final decision on the funding of the scheme, probably in the spring of this year. Many Southend residents are incensed at the scheme. Not only is there a loss of part of the park with the cutting down of many trees but residents see no local benefit in terms of traffic flow or economic advantage.
There is the loss of an important historic site, which