Thursday, 19 September 2013

'Our Community, Our Schools: Education through collaboration' - Public meeting update

An update on our public meeting, being held on Tuesday 8 October at the Vestry House meeting room at 7pm.

We are really proud to be hosting Zoe Williams, writer and Guardian columnist and Christine Blower, the General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers. Zoe has published on a range of social issues, but recently wrote a powerful condemnation of the myths of the educational underclass being peddled by right wing think tanks like the Centre for Social Justice. Christine Blower is the General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers which has played a leading role in campaigning against academies and Free Schools and which this week launched a new campaign around London's school places crisis. The campaign identifies, rightly, that the growing crisis of school places in the capital is being seriously aggravated by the government's policy of undermining, weakening and obstructing local authorities, making it harder for them to build new schools, while it pushes its Free School dogma. So these two speakers will give a great national perspective on what's happening in Waltham Forest.

We also have two new speakers to announce including, Patrick Edwards, a local parent and Councillor Clare Coghill, the Local Authority's Lead Member for Children and Young People. Clare will be able to give valuable insight into the Council's alternative plan and why they are opposed to Oasis and Tauheedul's proposed Free Schools, while Patrick will be able to talk as a local parent in the community, facing the same issues as the rest of us.

This is going to be a fascinating meeting. Make sure that you are there.

Tuesday, 8th October, 7pm, Vestry House Museum meeting room.