 Adam
Afriyie
MP
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Back to School
08-Sep-06, Windsor Express
Article.
Many parents will be breathing a sigh of relief
this week as the children start on a new school term!
Although, I suspect, some children may feel a little
disgruntled that school must intrude upon the enjoyment
of the summer holidays, I hope that the thrill of a new
school year, combined with meeting old friends and
making new ones, will compensate for the loss of freedom
to some degree.
But for some children and parents in Windsor, the start
of the new school term will be a worrying time. Many parents
have written to me over the years because they are unable to
get their child into a school of their choice or, even in
some cases, the same school as their siblings.
Under the current system, parents are often forced to
send their children to a school some distance from home. And
yet they are barred from applying outside of a particular
catchment area and there are also strict limitations imposed
which prevent popular schools from expanding. Not only are
pupils sometimes educationally disadvantaged they are often
taken away from their friends, which can be bring added
stress at an already difficult period. The upheaval can also
cause a logistical nightmare for parents, who must deliver
their children to school before heading out to work.
It is reassuring that some of the best schools in the
country are to be found in our area, but it must now be time
to allow parents, pupils and schools more flexibility and
choice. So, for this reason, I welcome some of the measures
contained in the new Government Education Bill and hope it
is not undermined by the current battles within the
parliamentary labour party. |
I
believe
People are happier
when making their own decisions.
Business is the
engine of the economy that generates our jobs, incomes and
taxes.
Government should
not interfere in our lives beyond protecting and defending
us.
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