The Isle of Wight has been identified as an ‘Education Investment Area’ by the Government, it has been announced this week, but The Green Party’s Vix Lowthion has said she is ‘frankly alarmed’ by what has been set out.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi and Minister for Levelling up Communities and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch revealed the news on Tuesday. In their announcement, they said they have identified 55 locations in Britain where investment, support and action will be targeted to help children from all backgrounds and areas to succeed at the very highest levels.
The Department for Education will offer retention payments in Education Investment Areas to help schools keep the best teachers in the highest priority subjects. Schools will also be given support to address wider issues such as attendance, where they will be encouraged to join a new pilot programme to tackle the issue.
The announcement comes as part of the Government’s agenda to improve public services and level up the country ahead of the publication of the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper.
Bob Seely MP has said:
“I’m delighted the Isle of Wight has been identified as an Education Investment Area. This is good news for our young people and important for the Island.
“The Island has historically suffered from a lack of investment. I’ve been making sure that is changing by continually lobbying ministers and highlighting the needs of the Island. Whilst we are technically part of the prosperous South East, our need, frankly, is greater. A critical part of our future success story will be rising educational achievement.
“For too much of the last fifty years the Island has been left behind. I am determined to see that we are ‘levelled up’ and not ‘left behind’.
Article continues below this advertisement “This is more evidence that the Government and I are delivering for the Island.”
Not everyone is keen on the idea though… Education spokesperson for the Green Party, Vix Lowthion, a teacher, has called the situation ‘deeply worrying’. She has said:
“It is more academisation, more elitism, more focus on high stakes tests at primary schools and nothing about overturning years of funding cuts in schools, smaller classes, creativity and accountability.”
Ms Lowthion (pictured right) has also raised fears about the future viability of existing community Sixth Forms if a new one is opened.
Peter Shreeve, the assistant district secretary of the National Education Union on the Island, has said many of the areas now targeted for support have been among the hardest hit by education cuts in the last decade and what is promised will not be enough to make up for the past. He said ‘tinkering’ with the system would not solve the ongoing problems on the Island, like insufficient pupil numbers, high special education needs and disabilities, lower wages or poverty.
Mr Shreeve said it had been tried before, with disappointing outcomes. He said:
“If this is to avoid becoming a ‘mission impossible’ we need a proper strategy across government to eradicate child poverty, because poverty strongly determines life chances and ambitions.”
A spokesperson from the Save Our School group has added:
“We are calling on politicians, especially those who opposed the closure prior to the election, to do the right thing. The report which has been written by staff based in Winchester fails to address the massive impact that closure will have on the community, staff, children and their families.
Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi has said:
“The most valuable resource on the planet is the human resource. Investing in people to get on in life and receive the best possible education is core to the mission of this Government, and we are determined to help people gain the knowledge and skills needed to unleash their potential.
“This White Paper sets out our blueprint for putting skills, schools and families at the heart of levelling up. It focuses on putting great schools in every part of the country, training that sets you up for success in a high-skilled, well-paid career and ensuring no one misses out on opportunities simply because of where they live or their family background.
“Raising our expectations and aspirations for children, as well as creating a high-skilled workforce, will end the brain drain that sees too many people leaving communities in order to succeed. These plans will help create a level playing field and boost the economy, both locally and nationally.”
As announced last year, the Isle of Wight College has also been identified as a site for targeted Government investment that will transform its buildings and facilities for future generations. It is 1 of 16 across England set to benefit from the Government’s £1.5billion FE Capital Transformation Fund which aims to rebuild and transform college estates and create modern, fit-for-purpose spaces that meet the needs of students and the communities they serve.
strange how vix is vocal on this, but has lost her voice completely on the issue of the endless concreting over of the island with benefit hutches. The increase in pollution, overcrowding, consumption, increase in CO2 production on the island, a reduction in oxygen generation as trees are cut down, increase in waste generation, more exhaust emissions due to more cars idling in long queues, loss of greenfields and so many other green issues, are supposed to be at the heart of what the green party stands for, yet, vix does not seem to find any of this alarming.
why isn’t she campaigning against every house and development being considered.