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Local Matters - views from our MP and Local Councillor
David Ruffley MP Cllr Mark Ereira-Guyer
Bus service plight for Howard Estate residents Why change our Middle Schools system?
Buses should run where people need them. The truly magical thing about Middle
This may seem a rather obvious statement Schools for me is that they allow our chil-
but the strength of the campaign being run dren to hold onto their childhood to the
by residents of the Howard estate in Bury St last possible moment. My own two chil-
Edmunds to persuade the authorities to dren flourished in the middle school sys-
extend the new 80 bus route a few hun- tem. They were made to feel special,
dred yards towards their homes so they understood and appreciated for their
can reach the new Asda store demon- uniqueness rather than anonymous in a
David Ruffley MP
strates that this is not necessarily the case. vast 1300+ secondary school. The result
for a small, and quite intimate, town like
Their delight at the opening of Asda in Western Way was soon
Cllr Mark
Bury St Edmunds is that young people are
Ereira-Guyershattered when they realised that the new bus service, partly
highly socialized, courteous and respectful
funded by money from the developers, would not run as far
of others. When speaking with my teenage son's friends I am
as the Howard estate.
taken aback by their very positive experiences of their school
Bus users are often pensioners, people on low incomes or
days and how much they feel that for them 'small really was
mothers travelling with young children. They all rely on buses
beautiful'. They express genuine pride in a town with such
on a daily basis.
schools in them.
A meeting between St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Suffolk
Before arriving on the County Council scene as one of the
County Council and First, the bus operator, to discuss this bus
first Greens elected ever, a policy decision had already been
route is not due to be held until 12 August. My Howard estate
taken to move to having two tier education rather than three
constituents want to know why it is taking so long. I have
- meaning the end of Middle schools. I have received a flurry
taken up this issue with the two councils and will be meeting
of emails from those parents who want to know how the
Alan Pilbeam, Managing Director of First East England, to ask
changes will impact on their own children as we are now
why this incredibly modest change to the timetables cannot
coming to the point when change is being implemented. A
be delivered rapidly.
typical concerned parent writes: "Educationally the Middle
I hope that common sense will prevail. I call upon the parties
School system is far superior, because of its coherent view of
involved to resolve this issue as a matter of urgency so that
how to meet the changing developmental needs of children
my constituents living on the Howard estate are provided with
and young people, particularly in providing for children
the bus service they need.
through pre-pubescence and early adolescence. Never
more than now do we, as a society, need this". Views like this
chime in with my own and many other people that I talk to
across the Tower electoral division I represent.
Andrea Hill, the County's impressive CEO, has told all new
county councillors that she expects very tough public spend-
ing rounds for the next decade and that this will mean lots of
hard choices here in Suffolk. Yet, despite great uncertainties
about the public funding being available, the County
Council will be bringing forward its proposals next month to
set up several split-site secondary schools in Bury St Edmunds
for all 11 to 18 year olds. So watch this space.
I shall be taking a special interest in children and young peo-
ple's issues as I am now a member of the Children, Schools
& Young People Scrutiny Committee. I must confess I was
shocked to discover that Suffolk has the second highest per-
centage (8%), after Peterborough, of young people aged
16-18 who are not in education, employment or training
(NEET), concentrated in the County's more disadvantaged
areas. With the economic recession and fewer jobs to go
around their predicament is made that much worse. Perhaps
with public funds getting tighter there is an urgent need to
direct them towards helping NEET young people into training
and employment rather than spending millions on re-organis-
ing middle schools in Bury which most, including young peo-
ple themselves, believe allow for a full, healthy childhood
and an education second to none.
Mark Ereira-Guyer
Green County Councillor, Tower Division, Bury St Edmunds
mark.ereira@suffolk.gov.uk Tel: 07545 42 38 41
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