LABOUR'S latest review of schooling conducted by David Blunkett seems to want to remove all but a few vestigial responsibilities for education from local democratic control.
Instead, Labour is in favour of a school system largely run by unelected commissioners appointed by Whitehall; a trend sadly started by the present Coalition Government at Westminster.
Will Liz Brighouse, as both leader of the Labour group on the county council and leader of the official opposition, and Val Smith, the Labour spokesperson on education, join with me in condemning these latest Labour proposals for school commissioners as undemocratic and a wasteful new bureaucracy that will not help create a world-class education system.
I would also be delighted if local Conservatives and independent county councillors would also join with me in standing up for local democracy by sponsoring an all-party motion at the July county council meeting re-affirming the importance of local democratic involvement in education.
Cllr John Howson
Lib Dem spokesperson on education, Oxfordshire County Council
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