Leader’s viewpoint is unacceptable (From Knutsford Guardian)

Leader’s viewpoint is unacceptable

12:50pm Monday 4th June 2012 in Letters

THE headlines regarding faith school buses make for a great deal of concern.

I try to follow my faith as do the children of today, but it is not easy to have a faith today in this era of political correctness. Getting education in a faith school appears to give a good chance that a young person will fit in the society of the future.

This is not a manifestation of my mind, as Ofsted’s school inspections clearly indicate faith schools make an outstanding contribution to their community and society in general.

It is this feature of life that a political figure like council leader Wesley Fitzgerald has not grasped when he suggests that there should be no financial support for travel out of area for faith schools, because pupils going to specialist schools (maths, music etc) do not receive that same financial support.

This council leader’s viewpoint is unacceptable and tainted with a political agenda and political correctness.

Clearly specialist school pupils should also receive travel support, they are after all creating a base for their future and in doing so providing all of us with a better social economic future.

Further, if all parents decided that they could not afford the additional travel cost to send their children to a faith high school, are there the places at Knutsford Academy to absorb another 200-plus pupils this coming summer term from St Vincent’s? I think not!

Imagine the cost of this influx of new pupils. Perhaps you would remove the 40 per cent of existing pupils at Knutsford High who travel from out of town, to accommodate local Knutsford pupils.

Hard-working, low-income families in our community will be pushed into greater financial difficulty. This action by CEC is not going to provide the community cohesion that is so necessary in today’s society.

BILL GORE Legh Road, Knutsford