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Why have faith in education?
• THANKS for your article on the expansion plans of Emmanuel Church of England School.
There are issues not mentioned there (Houses make way for bigger school, March 5) which need to be explored.
It is good to know that there was a public meeting last week, but it appears that the people living in the houses to be demolished were not invited.
These are tenants with roots in the community, some for more than 30 years.
I am informed that eviction notices for May have been sent out all before there are any plans for the school, indeed they are still in “consultation”.
Since the planning process will take months if not years why are these residents to be evicted in two months’ time?
Presumably the houses will then all have the attractive metal grilles attached to all the windows for the next year or so?
No doubt Emmanuel is an “outstanding” school but do we really need more children in “faith schools”?
Where is Camden’s commitment to diversity, in a country in which less than 5 per cent of the population attend CofE churches surely more places should be found for outstanding education rather than religion.
So how exactly did they identify the need for more CofE places?
I for one do not believe that children of nursery and primary school age are sufficiently mature to choose a belief system for themselves.
What right does Camden have to impose a particular religious upbringing on these kids?
There is the obligatory “consultation” document being circulated which allows for no comments on, the advisability of “faith” schools, the cost to Camden ratepayers or the destruction of already existing facilities including the Open Space.
Let Camden come clean and show us their plans before they evict tenants, garden projects and nursery, with nowhere else to go and come clean about the cost of those 15 additional pupils and the alternatives to be offered to those who will be thrown out.
TOBY FREEMA, NW3
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