Councillors John Tanner and Jean Fooks (Oxford Mail, June 13) have spelled it out for us - the plan to replace Peers School at Littlemore, Oxford, with an academy has got absolutely nothing to do with the myth that academies improve education.

As figures show, they don't.

Indeed, at the public meeting on June 12, John Tanner called academies "silly".

I was there, two seats away from him.

The truth is that the only reason why we are supposed to accept the plan is that if we don't, the county council and the Government will let Peers starve (and the consultation is a sham).

They have been looking for a school to give away for some time.

Oxford School was approached before Peers, but it wisely rejected the proposal.

So they targeted Peers, which looked much more vulnerable because it had been denied proper resourcing for a long time and couldn't afford to say no.

This is plain blackmail and bullying.

The Church of England should not associate itself with bullies. If something is wrong, it does not become right just because the good guys do it.

Our elected representatives should not encourage us to accept the bullying as an unfortunate fact of life - it isn't - and they should join those who stand up to it.

Instead of telling us to take it on the chin, they should join us and demand that the money to fund Peers, which we know is available, is simply given to Peers.

DONA VELLUTI President Oxford and District Trades Union Council