ANGRY parents occupying the roof of Lewisham Bridge Primary School and students from Goldsmiths College demonstrated against Prime Minister Brown when he arrived at Prendergast Secondary School to deliver his speech on ‘parent power’ yesterday.
Brown’s speech at the south London school was described by the National Union of Teachers as ‘simply another piece of populist spin’.
Parent Eleanor Davies, from the Lewisham Bridge Primary School roof occupation, told News Line: ‘We heard this morning at 10.00 about Gordon Brown’s visit to this school, to make a speech on parent power and federation.’
Pointing to their ‘Hands off Lewisham Bridge’ banner, she said: ‘This is parent power. We don’t want a 3-16-year-olds academy. We have been saying this for three years.’
When Brown arrived protesters chanted: ‘Lewisham Bridge, Here to Stay!; Occupation is the Way, Occupy your School Today!’
The defend Lewisham Bridge campaign is lobbying the Council meeting at Lewisham Town Hall at 7pm tonight and on Saturday is marching at 12noon to a rally at Lewisham Clock Tower at 12.30.
Commenting on Brown’s speech, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Christine Blower said: ‘This initiative for parents is simply another piece of populist spin.
‘Schools already work with parents and governors to ensure that information is fully available to the local community, and there are already existing transparent complaints procedures in place in every school which allow for full investigation.
‘Parents can look at, and analyse, Ofsted reports and they can of course visit schools.
‘Secondary schools are already subject to enough myth about how good or bad they are.
‘The National Challenge (the government’s programme to ‘ensure higher standards’ in secondary schools) and often local press already paint an inaccurate picture about how a school is faring.
‘This initiative for parents is simply another piece of populist spin.’
Brown said ‘Where there is significant dissatisfaction with the pattern of secondary school provision, and where standards across an area are too low – then the local authority will be required to act.
‘This could mean either the creation of a federation of schools, an expansion of good school places or, in some cases, the establishment of entirely new schools.’
Parents can already call for Ofsted inspections – but only in schools where they have children, Brown’s new plan is that they can demand an intervention in other local schools too.
l A demonstration is being held at 6pm tonight outside Copland School in Wembley High Road, against the suspension of teachers’ union reps after ‘whistleblowing’ about the school’s headteacher’s allegedly excessive bonuses.
The Unions are balloting their members for action in support of their suspended reps.