THE Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate (Letters August 3rd) may have had fourteen pints of lager too many before penning his contribution. It certainly makes no sense at all in the clear light of day.

The additional money, which he claims could be spent in schools under the new Tory policy, is currently being spent on home to school transport,

special educational needs, and other essential services.

If these were not provided by the local education authority, they would have to be provided by the schools themselves. Unless they clubbed together to achieve economies of scale, it would almost certainly cost each school more, not less, to provide these, so taking money away from teachers, books and school buildings.

He has also missed the fact that schools already manage their own budgets

and employ their own staff. And when Trafford recently consulted schools on

our proposed admissions policy, not one school suggested it should be any

different.

As for the suggestion that the Partington school under threat of closure could continue if parents wished, he really ought to talk to the Conservative councillors on Trafford Council, who, far from wanting to keep the school open, proposed closing not one but two schools.

What the Tories really can't accept is that Labour education policies are giving rise to an unprecedented increase in educational standards across the country, improving the life chances of all our children, and fuelling the knowledge-based economy of the twenty-first century. Don't let them threaten this progress with a policy which owes more to thirty-two rum and cokes than to rational thought.

Cllr Peter Mitchell

Council Cabinet Member for Lifelong Learning

Trafford MBC

Trafford Town Hall

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.