Sunday, September 16, 2007
Heartsease Academy Goes Pete Tong!The proposed takeover of Heartsease School in Norwich appears to be going all Pete Tong. Millionaire second hand car dealer turned Pentecostalist preacher Graham Dacre (standard Pentecostalist positions are that the world was created 6,000 years ago, abortion is ‘evil’ and homosexuality can be ‘cured’) wants to run the school as an Academy.
The Norwich Council Scrutiny Committee have already voted against the proposal, now the governors at Heartsease have registered their opposition. Maybe the prospect of creationists having a majority on the new governing body didn’t appeal.
The public consultation closes on September 21, then on October 8 the Norwich Council Cabinet will discuss the proposal. Even then Education minister Ed Balls could override any local decision.
Fred Corbett, the council's deputy director of education, said “This is a great opportunity for the community around Heartsease High. If the decision goes against the academy this time round, I think that will be Heartsease's chance gone.”
I thought these people were meant to follow directions from the Council? They haven’t given up, Building Schools for the Future (BSF) will give them other opportunities to hand schools over to wacky religious groups.
Labels: Academies
