Camden New Journal - Letters: Academy

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Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 1 November 2007

Wrong on academy

• AN open letter to Liberal Democrat councillors.
I don’t think you realise how disappointed and disillusioned those of us who are involved in Camden schools feel about the academy decision.
This is a wrong decision, taken in the wrong way, for the wrong school, in the wrong place. If University College London sincerely wants to support disadvantaged children in a deprived area, there are plenty of places in London worse off than St John’s Wood.
Why propose what Professor Alan Smithers of the University of Buckingham (no left winger) has described as “a school for highfliers in a posh part of town”? (The Independent October 18).
UCL has not exactly been transparent about its plans and any assurances given to the council are worth precisely nothing once the deal has been done with the government. I thought that Lib Dems believed in community involvement. This school wouldn’t be accountable in any way to the Camden community. The proposal will disrupt two excellent schools which really do cater for disadvantaged children. It will not meet the needs of parents in the south of the borough who rightly want a local school. It has the potential to damage our good and genuinely comprehensive secondary schools.
Is this how you want to be remembered?
It is not too late to turn back, to run a proper competition, to create a school that belongs to its community and has the full support of that community.
FELICITY TAYLOR
Brookfield Park, NW5

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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