Suffolk's middle schools to close
SUFFOLK'S 40 middle schools are set to be axed after councillors tonight voted through closure plans.After a meeting that lasted more than five hours, plans to revert to a two-tier countywide education system were backed.
SUFFOLK'S 40 middle schools are set to be axed after councillors tonight voted through closure plans.
After a meeting that lasted more than five hours, plans to revert to a two-tier countywide education system were backed.
There were 42 “yes” votes, 28 “no” votes and three abstentions.
The move has gone through despite furious opposition from hundreds of parents, some of whom protested outside Endeavour House ahead of today's meeting, which started at 2pm.
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The council has claimed pupils who go straight from primary to high school perform better academically.
But the opponents to the proposals, led by Parents Against Change, questioned the reliability of the statistics.
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Ahead of tonight's vote, the campaigners threatened to take the council to the Local Government Ombudsman and, possibly, seek a judicial review in the event of a “yes” vote.
The changes to the county's education system are expected to take about six years to fully implement, after the process begins.
For full story and reaction, see Friday's EADT.
