Frank Browne's Dreamworld of Education (Wokingham Liberal Democrats)

Wokingham Liberal Democrats <info@wokinghamlibdems.org.uk>

Frank Browne's Dreamworld of Education

March 3, 2006 12:00 AM

"Frank Browne (Tory Leader of Wokingham District Council) must be dreaming", is the opinion of Coling Lawley (Liberal Democrat Leader at Wokingham District Council) of Frank Browne's claim that Wokingham District Headteachers requested him to spend less on the upkeep of our schools. "I don't know who he has spoken to, but it's certainly not the same Headteachers who have spoken to me about the current state of our school buildings. Without exception they have all expressed their concern about their crumbling schools.

"The Liberal Democrat Group want to see new school buildings in the district, but realism tells us that, for the sake of the pupils currently at school, the Council must keep the current schools up to a fit and proper standard and not just sit idly by and watch education standards deteriorate."

Beth Rowland (Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education) says, "Frank must be dreaming if he thinks the District's examination results this time 'do not differ significantly from last year's'. Frank knows that the District dropped down twenty places (8th to 28th) in the prestigious league table for GCSE Grade A* - C results this year. This slide in education standards is especially painful as the Government promised to give an extra £250,000 to Wokingham District Council if it improved its exam results.

With Frank Browne in charge, our pass rate slipped from 62.2% to 60.5%.

"When the Conservatives took over control of the Council four years ago our average pass rate for these results was 11% above the national average. That has now shrunk to just 4%."

Both Coling Lawley and Beth Rowland agree that Frank needs to wake up and face the reality that the current state of the District's School buildings is a major contributing factor to the District's worsening examination results.