Grahame Morris tells Gove to Look Again at Seaham School

Press Releases / July 13, 2010 / 1265Comment nowhttp://grahamemorris.com/2010/07/grahame-morris-tells-gove-to-look-again-at-seaham-school/Grahame+Morris+tells+Gove+to+Look+Again+at+Seaham+School2010-07-13+12%3A08%3A04grahame

Grahame Morris, MP for Easington, has today written to the Education Secretary to ask him to reconsider his Department’s “arbitrary decision” to cancel funding for the proposed new building that was to replace the dilapidated building currently used by the Seaham School of Technology.

In his letter to Michael Gove, Grahame Morris said that Seaham School was “in the worst physical condition of any school in my constituency and this is having a significant negative impact on the educational environment in which teachers and pupils are expected to work”.

He went on to say:

“Your Department’s decision is a devastating setback for pupils, teachers, parents and all of those who have worked so hard to improve education in Seaham and its surrounding areas. I implore you to look again at this decision which can only have a detrimental impact on education and learning.”

On the 9^th June 2010 Grahame Morris tabled a Written Parliamentary Question to the Education Secretary seeking assurances that the planned funding for Seaham School, under the Building Schools for the Future programme, would be maintained. However the Department replied that this funding was under review at the time.

Michael Gove first announced cuts to the Building Schools for the Future Budget on Monday 5^th June 2010. Since then there have been five published lists from his Department detailing school rebuilding projects that have been cancelled. He has faced heavy criticism from Labour opposition MPs due to the numerous and systematic mistakes in his Department’s published lists.

Grahame Morris said:

“Mr. Gove has cancelled essential school rebuilding programmes without consultation and without consideration for local needs.

“Parents, pupils and teachers can have no faith in an Education Secretary who is so cavalier that he cannot even produce an accurate list of which school projects face the axe and which are safe.

“Parents and children in Seaham need a new school that can provide a modern educational environment in which teachers and pupils can fulfil their potential and that is why I have written to the Education Secretary to ask him to look again at this devastating decision.”

ENDS