The Isle of Wight ‘still has an ongoing birth rate issue’ which will have to be addressed, the council’s new education cabinet member has said.
Speaking to the press after joining County Hall’s ruling executive last week, Councillor Claire Critchison said funding for Island schools would continue to be a challenge amid rising costs and changing needs.
Councillor Critchison replaces Councillor Jonathan Bacon who departed from office last month, half an hour before a crucial vote on 5 proposed school closures.
The Alliance administration ultimately opted to close primaries in Cowes and Arreton but not those earmarked in Wroxall, Brading and Oakfield.
In a blistering attack on most of the cabinet who chose not to back all five of the closures, Councillor Bacon’s resignation statement said their “unacceptable” last minute turnaround meant “political needs” were put before the interests of Island children.
The former education cabinet member led the closures process which the council said was a response to a falling birth rate and ‘declining pupil population’, warning of ‘significant risks’ to some schools’ ‘financial sustainability’.
Councillor Critchison said.
“I don’t want to dwell on that process. It seemed like a lot this time with the schools, and I think that was what was hard for people,
Article continues below this advertisement “In the past it’s just been one school here, one school there but because this problem started in 2018 or before and wasn’t dealt with at that point, it’s escalated.
“The birth rate only went down because of COVID-19, not up, so we’re now in the position we’re in.
“The process was correct – everything was taken into consideration, it was an Island-wide approach – and that process will have to be restarted again.”
The Green Party representative for Chale, Niton and Shorwell said she stepped into the post seeing an “opportunity” and having an “interest in the area”. She also wanted to be “helpful” with County Hall’s transition to a new committee system of governance which will take effect from May.
As to how effective the new model is likely to be in dealing with the Island’s education challenges, Councillor Critchison was uncertain.
“I know the director of children’s services, Ashley Whittaker, has worked in a committee system before. The new committee for children’s services will have to decide the way forward for this process.
“Hopefully they’ll deal with it in the best way possible, but school closures are never easy – no one wants it to happen.”
Who would want to live here. Ferry costs are way to much, ripping off the locals so they move off the island. A lot of properties are still owned and left empty most of the year by 2nd 3rd 4th homeowners therefore blocking anyone from buying anywhere, and pushing the prices sky high. Low wages it’s about time wages on the island were in line with mainland salaries. The final nail in the coffin is of course Jerk Jordans cobble up of a council. If anyone else can think of anymore, add them below.
So many island companies charge mainland
prices for works etc, but pay island employees
minimum wage.
She’s wrong there, the birth rate across the UK, including us, has been declining since 2010. A direct comparison can been drawn between that and the financial squeeze on the country under the previous government. Basically, without financial and housing stability people cannot afford to have kids, and here, those with kids move for better opportunities elsewhere. Until that is addressed nothing will change and the impact on the rest of the population will increase. The more poor we have, the higher the ongoing costs for the rest of us. Fix that and you fix the others.
I read recently, since the administering of the
vaccines the birth rates have fallen.
I am not a conspiracy theorist. I just read the truth.
No, you read something and PRESUME it’s the truth without further corroboration or extrapolation of data.
Believe me what I read is true,
I no longer believe mainstream media.
You are welcome to believe what you read.
i think the birth rate has probably fallen because there are a lot of women like me, who just don’t like children!
In todays world is it wise to bring children into the
world.
This country is not the country it use to be.
I am glad my children are grown up, whether my
grandchildren will want to have children in the
future that is their decision.
Times have sadly changed.
With me, I simply do not like children and never wanted any. but I love my cats immensely they are so spoilt. (crazy cat lady)
Nothing wrong with pets, they don’t upset
people.
The birth rate went down in covid? not because of the 2 child limit that started a few years earlier, meaning the school entrants dropped in the covid year. Less children need less teachers, less teachers need less schools. Must have levelled by now so not much chance of losing anymore, another 10 years and there would have been more houses to go round, but I expect the dinghy boomers will have an effect on that.
The jabs have lowered the birth rates,
the dinghy boomers would not have been
jabbed, so no problem with them having children
in the future.
If there is a problem filling classrooms why not
move families over from the mainland to fill
the empty places.
Also advertise on the mainland for new teachers.
Easy Peasy
Because they’d have nowhere to live. Good grief.
There are plenty of empty properties on the
island that could be easily converted into
housing.
It is a fact there are more deaths every year than births and the difference is rising. This is a UK wide problem particularly true on the island.
It is also fact therefore there is no need to build any private 3 or 4 bedroom houses at all.
What the Government needs, if it wants to house the rest of the world’s population, is to covert empty City offices into one bed flats as 96% of ii s are single males under 30.
Cities have hospitals, transport, Mosques, etc.
The IOW by comparison has a pub, a corner shop and a 13C Church, not quite what they need.
No more houses if you close all the schools.
Sorry, 96% of what are single males under 30? You might want to try Migration Watch, ONS or Gov.UK Data for verifiable figures instead of the Daily Star?
I have to agree with you 110%