WALTHAM FOREST: Council deputy refuses to meet Balls (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAM FOREST: Council deputy refuses to meet Balls

11:20am Tuesday 17th June 2008 in News By Carl Brown

THE deputy leader of Waltham Forest Council refused to attend the visit of a cabinet minister in protest at a controversial Government schools "hitlist" that has angered local teachers and parents.

On Monday schools minister Ed Balls visited Kelmscott School, in Markhouse Road, Walthamtow, which is currently being refurbished under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

Mr Balls visited Kelmscott to inspect the work and recognise the progress of the school.

But the visit comes just a week after the Government drew up a hitlist of "failing" schools, including George Mitchell School, in Leyton, and Walthamstow Academy.

The inclusion of the two schools on the list, which have both made great strides in exam results in challenging circumstances, has angered teachers and parents.

Lib Dem group leader and deputy council leader John Macklin described the visit of Mr Balls as "completely inappropriate". He said: "While it is welcome that the excellent progress being made at Kelsmcott is being recognised, it almost defies belief that the minister feels it is appropriate to put the boot into local schools one week and then, days later, turn up in Waltham Forest to use the borough for a Government press launch.

"His hitlist has caused a lot of anger locally and has apparently been based on completely arbitrary targets that take no account of any of the highly individual circumstances that schools such as George Mitchell work under.

"How on earth can threatening these schools with closure under such apparently random criteria help in their future development?

"Ed Balls' announcement has unsettled teachers, staff and pupils who I'm sure will see the Minister's decision to go ahead with this visit in the wake of such an announcement as entirely lacking in tact."

Council leader and Labour group leader Clyde Loakes did attend the visit however.

Under the National Challenge, every secondary school in England & Wales must have a 30 per cent GCSE grade A to C pass rate within three years or face closure.

Mr Balls said: "No schools should accept low attainment as the status quo and we will give teachers the tools and support to make long lasting change."