Second Chafford schools protest at council offices

7:50am Friday 29th June 2012 in News

Parents outside the council offices Parents outside the council offices

THE Chafford Schools for Chafford Kids campaign group has staged its second protest outside Thurrock Council’s offices.

The group, made up of the parents of 23 children from Chafford Hundred who haven’t got a place at one of its three primary schools, held banners and shouted their plea for places as councillors went into a full council meeting last week.

Conservative ward councillors Tunde Ojetola, Charlie Key and Simon Wootton were there supporting the parents.

Cllr Ojetola said: “I think this shows the determination the parents have. They feel the council hasn’t been helpful.

“A feasability study last year into extending primary schools in Chafford said there was a requirement for 210 more places in Chafford. The council knew there was going to be a shortage.”

Cllr Key said the situation was “heartbreaking”, but commended parents for their behaviour.

He added: “They’ve fought for so long and their campaign has been more than impressive.

“I think they have set a really good example for their children.”

Following the protest the parents packed into the public gallery to hand in a petition with more than 1,000 signatures calling for an extra classroom to be added at Warren Primary School, in Gilbert Road.

Lea Agambar, who helped start the group, said they have been overwhelmed by public support.

She said: “We’ve had a fantastic number of signatures considering we only set up the petition a couple of weeks ago. Our children deserve to go to school where they live.

“We are also going to support MP Jackie Doyle-Price’s campaign for a new free school, as it’s not just about our chidren, it’s about children in future years.”

Labour’s education portfolio holder, Oliver Gerrish, confirmed he will be meeting with parents again, and said while he hadn’t given up on finding a solution, he didn’t want to “give false hope”.

Comments(3)

Mattster says...
8:57am Fri 29 Jun 12

They should be protesting at Westminster as the real cause of the shortages is the tens of thousands of Africans and Eastern Europeans that have been let in to the UK and settled in Thurrock.

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ebagumtrebor says...
9:47am Fri 29 Jun 12

What stuns me is that they are taking their protests to a council that is run by a party that is in total denial about their part in bankrupting the country and whose leader made a very tacit acceptance that they flooded the country with their mass immigration policy without any thought of the consequences, apart from the fact that we'd have a more multicultural society built in the Labour party's ethereal image. People of Chafford, there will be no more school places, as there won't be in any other part of the borough that has run out of places as well. Remember the words of the Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson when they were in power. He wouldn't care less if the population of this country was 70 million or more. The current official population estimates are about 62 million. And you're worried about school places now. In ten years time you'll be worrying about the roof over your head. Remember that the next time you vote Labour.

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crazycal says...
9:56am Fri 29 Jun 12

Totally agree with the above comments - there are LOTS of children not getting school places in their so-called catchment areas, Gateway Academy refuse loads of students who live in Tilbury as an example. It stands to reason its only going to get worse, lots more flats, houses being built in Thurrock and NO ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS OR HOSPITALS TO COPE WITH IT ! It was obvious it was going to happen?!

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