The General Secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), Kevin Courtney, has sent a statement of support for the campaign to save the Studio School in East Cowes.
As previously reported by Island Echo, the Isle of Wight Studio School looks set to close its doors for good next year following an agreement in principle from Ministers at the Department of Education.
Students, parents, teachers and the wider Island community are fighting against the closure and over 16,000 signatures have been collected on a petition. However, the 4-week listening period, after which a final decision will be made by the Department of Education, is to come to an end at 17:00 today (Wednesday 22nd May).
The closure of the Studio School is said to be down to too few students choosing to study at the school in Years 12 and 13, which has meant that the school has not developed in the way originally planned.
Mr Courtney’s statement reads:
“The National Education Union understands the distress the closure of the Isle of Wight studio school will cause for its students and their parents. No child or parent should ever face this situation.
“Responsibility lies fairly and squarely with the Government which has continued to pursue a model of education which is clearly not viable in the long term. This is evidenced by the fact that the Isle of Wight will be the 19th studio school to close since this school model was first established in 2011. It is disgraceful that the sponsor, Inspire Academy Trust, has simply walked away.
“The Government’s fragmented and marketised education system is dysfunctional and children and young people are paying the price. The NEU believes the legal powers and funding must be restored to local authorities to open new schools and provide additional school places of the type and in the locations where there is genuine demand. This is the only way to ensure democratic accountability of education at local level.”
Article continues below this advertisement
Vix Lowthion, the Green Party’s National Education Spokesperson, has said:
“As a parent and a teacher on the Island it is obvious to me that this is a school which really gets the best out of every student, and has students who really want to give their best for the staff.
“The ethos is unparalleled – to close it would be scandalous. Our IW Council and our MP supported the measures to keep the Bay Academy open in Sandown in 2017 – they must now do the same for the community in East Cowes and at the Studio School.”
All those who wish to support keeping the Studio School have until 17:00 to email the Department for Education at [email protected].
