Open letter on possible Bolingbroke school Post Reply

[schoolgatesmum]

I find it ironic that people are complaining that the council sold off school buildings (when there was less need in the area) but are now complaining that the council are buying a building (now there is more need in the area). You can't have it both ways.

[janee]

doleofficedad: I have only looked at this site now because of comments on Streetbook. You say: "For the likes of Jane Eades and the GMB, the debate has nothing to do with whether a local school is actually needed or not, its all to do with nasty extreme left wing politics and class war rubbish. "

My question to you is: Why are you so defensive that you can't have a sensible discussion about this issue without offensive, defamatory comments like this. It does you no credit and shows a marked lack of respect to others, who are not a part of your group but do have a vested interest in the provision of decent education in Wandsworth. Yes, I am opposed to academies and "free" schools. I make no secret of it. I believe that all state funded education should be accountable to the local community via the local authority. If that is an extremist viewpoint, so be it.

My politics are not extreme left wing, neither do I talk about class war. I wouldn't go so far as to say "some of my best friends are...." but believe it or not, I do also work in groups with the self righteous right!

Can you, please, remember that some people see this as a very serious issue and that the Council, whilst saying they have to cut services, are almost certainly spending £13 million on the purchase of the Bolingbroke (to effectively give away to ARK and the NSC) and have been criticised by Eric Pickles for holding too much money in reserve.

[doleofficedad]

This is the main issue I have with you Jane - a lack of honesty on your part. You write above "My politics are not extreme left wing, neither do I talk about class war". On the first point, you are on the small national executive of the Anti Academies Alliance, a group of 5 of you that has known links to the Socialist Workers Party. On the "class war" issue, perhaps you'd like to tell us all what your leaflets have as their headline that you are busy handing out? You may choose to belittle me as you do above and claim the moral high ground but there is nothing defensive at all in what I say - I am merely pointing out known facts.

[Talkman]

Doleofficedad / Pingu (your Streetbook name prior to your banishment from that site due to the nature of your posts I believe). Your postings add nothing to this debate. All you seem to do is rant about the left wing issue hence straying from the real and important topic. Your comments add nothing constructive to the pro Bolingbroke cause. Please desist.

[doleofficedad]

Sadly Talkman it was not I that defined the debate in political terms - the moment Jane Eades and the GMB union became involved, the emphasis changed given their background and political objectives. And I am not sure why you are the sole arbiter about what is real, important or constructive in this debate. Asking me to 'desist' makes me suspicious of why you object to the right to express an opinion or what your own motives may be. The more Jane Eades, Laura Brown or the unions moan about me expressing an opinion, the more I know I am shining a light on their hidden agenda and the more I will therefore continue to do so. Seeking to silence me (or indeed others who have the same concerns as I do) is verging on the Orwellian.

[ready2pop]

Having been attacked by doleofficedad on the other thread on this (depsite being a pro-academy banker myself ), I would agree with the request that he, and the other aggressive idealogues who have popped up on both sites of this debate, stop posting.

In fact, from a review of the threads on the academy it is clear that the tone of the debate changed when several new posters appeared who had never previously posted on this site and who have not commented on any of the other posts on it - only those related to the Academy.

You have all come onto, what used to be a friendly forum for local parents, and tried to use it to push your varying agendas edging out those of us who were having a polite, open-minded and objective discussion about the new school. Please can you go back to wherever you came from (sounds like it may have been Streetbook) and let the rest of us return to civility.

Thank you.

[doleofficedad]

ready2pop - I can only refer you to my last post. The more those who oppose the school on ideological and partisan grounds continue to do so, the more I will continue to post - and if you, Talkman or anyone else finds that uncomfortable then that is a small price worth paying. I have no agenda other than wishing to see the school open but if those who want to stop the school continue to use local web forums then I and others like me will also continue to do so.

[Talkman]

Well said ready2pop

[yummydaddy]

ready2pop,

"polite, open-minded and objective" - were you talking about the mirror article ? or the GMB propaganda ? or about how Jane and her crew harangued people (including myself) outside the library ?

come on, the ant-school peolpe are making this a nasty campaign so don't get all to hung up if the School supporters bite back.

shall we talk about the school, now ?

[ready2pop]

I give up. I asked idealogues on both sides of this debate to stop haranguing each other ane everyone else and let the genuine users of this site get back to normal.

You are obviously not going to do this (Annabel - anything you can do?) so the rest of us will have to stop discussing the new school altogether. Such a shame when some interesting points were being made.

[yummydaddy]

don't be so thin-skinned

so what were the interesting points being made, go ahead, please, we are listening

[Talkman]

I'm with you RTP, this is swiftly descending into a character assassination thread. A shame because so many good points have been made by both camps.

[monaco]

I also agree with you ReadyToPop and I am in favour of the new free school.

I have been involved in another school discussion (Belleville extension) and while we had several people disagreeing, it never went down the political route or the personal attack.

It is now becoming very difficult to have a clear view of all the arguments and data on this school, due to 40% of the posts now being about people slagging each other off.

I am posting my support to your point of view here so that, if others do the same, Annabel takes notice and finds a way to bring this site back to what it was: a decent, useful, friendly forum.