A watchdog lashed out at the Isle of Wight Council’s Cabinet earlier this week, saying it was given ‘just 3 working days’ to read 1,700 pages on school closures.
At an evening County Hall meeting on Tuesday, the Corporate Scrutiny Committee (CSC) unanimously agreed a motion stating the body had been ‘treated shamefully’ and that ‘any effective and meaningful scrutiny’ of the Cabinet’s expected decision to close 5 primary schools today (Thursday) is ‘open to ridicule’.
CSC vice-chair Councillor Geoff Brodie’s proposal said the panel received a ‘circa 1,700-page cabinet report and appendices’ on school place planning only 3 working days before its meeting.
It also noted committee papers are ‘legally supposed to be published at least five full working days beforehand’, with the publishing of ‘background papers’ thought to be ‘good practice for effective and meaningful scrutiny’.
The submission said:
“CSC considers that it has been treated shamefully and that any effective and meaningful scrutiny of this momentous decision-making is open to ridicule.
“Another example of how cabinet governance is discredited on this council and why it will be abolished in May.
“CSC resolves to urge the cabinet to postpone decision-making on school places by two weeks until 20th March, when there is already a scheduled meeting, and resolves to convene a special meeting of CSC for 18th March. This will allow effective and meaningful scrutiny to be undertaken.
Article continues below this advertisement “Should cabinet not agree to postponement then CSC agrees to oppose the proposed closure of five named schools on the grounds that no effective or meaningful scrutiny has been facilitated by the council leadership.”
CSC member Councillor Rodney Downer said:
“I’m against the closure of 5 schools. There hasn’t been enough time to read the papers.
“They’re far too long and written in language that is meant to bamboozle people. I certainly would have trouble reading through all of them and then understanding all of it.
“Data and statistics can be manipulated to say anything.”
Education cabinet member Cllr Jonathan Bacon, who is at the forefront of the closure plans, said:
“I get his (Councillor Brodie’s) point very much. We have to remember there are many other things going on in the council at the moment and in the education system.
“And, as such, I would be very happy to offer a delay of one week to next week. We already have a CSC and a cabinet in the diary for next week.
“The problem with two weeks is that we will then adversely affect the primary admissions process.
“We are at the point at which letters are due to be sent out for all those due to join primary schools this coming September and if we are put in a position where any decisions in this matter are delayed for another two weeks, I’m not sure how that process can happen, or whether it can happen.”
In response, CSC chair Clare Mosdell said her committee had not “caused this problem” and that it was “disrespectful” to expect them to read the cabinet papers within three working days and to the Isle of Wight’s residents.
“This sounds like a you problem rather than a me problem,” she added.
Councillor Brodie said the incident was “possibly the worst example” he had come across in his time as an Isle of Wight councillor of a “last minute engagement with CSC”.
According to the reports, the Alliance cabinet is still scheduled to make a final decision on the closures of Arreton St Georges CE Primary School, Brading CE Primary School, Cowes Primary School, Oakfield CE Primary and Wroxall Primary School at a meeting on Thursday evening.
Get rid of Bacon, this scumbag is just trying to destroy anything good on the island, he always has and always will. Him and Jerk Jordan are the worst of the worst, liars and cheats, and they will get away with it even more now with starmers bunch of liars in charge too.
Usual knee jerk reaction from those that have no idea what they are talking about. If you have a business for example with five factories and you have extra capacity in two of them
you are going to consolidate. We all complain about the council wasting money now people are complaining when they try to save it.
Save money by NOT sending so called special kids to school by taxi, take your own kids to school and stop the taxpayer forking out for it. Stop spending money keeping druggies on methadone, stop spending money on immigrants housing, stop spending money of so called mental health. DO NOT close schools. But then again a well educated society want rights, keep people down and they won’t know any different, oh dear how right wing of me.
Wightlink or Red Funnel wouldn’t run a ferry
with 1 or 2 vehicles on it.
Schools shouldn’t be open if not full.
Close them and save money, therefore
STOP increasing our Council tax.
Sounds like just another fry up.
What a complete farce, just close the schools
F.F.S
Wish you would close your mouth and your laptop lid,
And then moan about ‘uneducated kids’. (While displaying your own lack of education)