EDUCATION CRISIS: Parents tell of shock at Monmouthshire's damning report (From South Wales Argus)

EDUCATION CRISIS: Parents tell of shock at Monmouthshire's damning report

11:20am Thursday 21st February 2013 in Gwent news

SURPRISED: Louise Summers, pictured with two of her children, Polly, left, and Ceri, says responsibility for any failing must be with the local authority, not with teachers

PARENTS spoke of their shock at the report’s findings.

Mum-of-four Louise Summers said she was surprised by the report because in her experience teachers and head teachers had always gone out of their way to do the best for their pupils.

She had nothing but praise for her children’s school’s The Dell Primary and Chepstow Comprehensive.

She said: “With four children I have had a wide range of experience with teachers and most are very dedicated to the job and put the children first.

“I would not put any blame at their door. The responsibility must then be with the local authority.”

One parent, who did not want to be named, branded the findings “atrocious” and said schools, teachers and governors were not to blame.

He said: “Schools like my son’s, Chepstow Comprehensive, have made huge improvements in a very short time and everyone thinks they are doing a great job, but what this report is saying to me is they are not getting the support from Monmouthshire County Council.

He said: “It’s another example of how out of touch they [the council] are with what’s going on.”

He backed councillors’ calls for cabinet member for education, Cllr Liz Hacket Pain to step down.

Mother-of-three Sue Pritchard tweeted: “As a parent I’m concerned that council spends too much on puff like ‘innovation suites’ instead of focussing on core work.

“My children are happy at their school. Better to ask if schools are happy with support they get receive from the council.”

Father-of-three, Monmouth MP David Davies, said it was important to point out the report praised the authority in many areas including its performance at primary school level.

He said: “I’ve got three children all in state schools and I am very, very satisfied with the level of education they are getting.

“I fully accept that there are areas where Monmouthshire council can do more and it’s going to be doing more, but I just hope that this is not part of a hidden agenda from the Welsh Government to take education away from local authorities.

There does seems to be an undercurrent of them wanting to do this.

“My children mean more to me than anything and if I thought there was any problem with their education I would take them out of the schools, but I don’t feel that way.”