A blog by Luke Akehurst about politics, elections, and the Labour Party - With subtitles for the Hard of Left. Just for the record: all the views expressed here are entirely personal and do not necessarily represent the positions of any organisations I am a member of.
In the heart of the council ward I represent a fantastic new mixed, non-denominational, comprehensive secondary school is being built, replacing the failing Homerton College and bringing hope and opportunity to kids from one of the most deprived areas in the UK. Dave Hill has a picture of the new academy: http://davehill.typepad.com/claptonian/2009/05/another-blue-academy.html
posted by Luke Akehurst at 9:08 pm
Labour Party activist since 1988 - firmly on the moderate wing of the party. Member of Labour’s NEC 2010-2012 and since 2020. National Secretary of Labour Students 1995-6. Parliamentary candidate for Aldershot (2001) and Castle Point (2005). Hackney Councillor (Chatham Ward) 2002-2014, Labour Group Chief Whip 2002-09, Chair of Health Scrutiny 2010-2014. Supporter of Europe, NATO/nuclear deterrence, Israel, electoral reform. Guardian reader. Dad. Oxford resident. Unite union member. Employment history as a Labour Party Organiser, Local Government Political Assistant, Director at a Public Affairs company. All views expressed in a personal capacity. The rest will become evident from reading the blog.
10 Comments:
It's a carbuncle right opposite the lovely Sutton House.
It does not matter what a school looks like its what goes on inside that matters
10:08 pm, May 27, 2009
I was a school governor for 20 years, and Chair of two schools.
I take it that the bulk of the staff who created the failing school will be transferred to the new building, the young people who have grown used to failure will be transferred to the new building, the local community ethos of failure will be transferred to the new building, and the people who call human beings "kids" - baby animals - will continue to patronise those to whom they should be offering hope, will continue to expect failure. After 12 years, Labour still have to learn that hose piping other peoples money at a problem doesn't solve the problem. Only people who "can and will" will change the life outcomes of those who can't and need to be shown. A new building is merely a signpost of good intent and we all know where good intentions lead us.
I am sure you won't post this, but at least you will have to read it.
10:11 pm, May 27, 2009
As far as I know no staff or pupils get to transfer - we shut the old school several years ago.
We already did this with 2 other notorious failing schools - Hackney Downs and Kingsland - and the new academies are hugely popular and academically successful - with the same catchment areas.
10:24 pm, May 27, 2009
Please accept apologies for over-wrought blogging brought on by an excess of cynicism due to experience over dearth of local knowledge.
I do wish the new school every success, it's just I know how hard it will be.
11:12 pm, May 27, 2009
Can you remind us why it is necessary to remove schools from democratic oversight and place them in the hands of millionaire used car salesmen in order for them to succeed?
The investment is great, the new buildings where needed and when built well are great, but it's pretty much all coming from the government rather than the sponsors. Why does all that excellent new investment need to be tied to privatisation?
PS Please don't reply with any guff about academies "out-performing" non-academies. You know perfectly well that there is no decent evidence for that, comparing like with like.
12:35 pm, May 28, 2009
Does the fact that this is an "Academy" matter to the outcomes or the fact that it is a decent facility with hopefully a new start for staff and students alike? Yes you say? Because it will be selective and desirted by middle class parents? Ah, I see.
1:55 pm, May 28, 2009
Desired, sorry.
1:55 pm, May 28, 2009
As Capitalism is in crisis there will be more PFI schemes!
What this means is that the private sector get the profits and the public sector take the losses so you and me pay for it-and some Rich twat makes all the money when will all you suckers learn?
1:30 am, May 29, 2009
I wish the Academy all the luck in the future.... we must offer hope to the younger generation in society....
However, I must say that the Academy building is a hideous edifice.....
The Dalston Square "Re-Denegration"....oh sorry I think that is meant to be re-generation.... is symptomatic of how under New Labour our once magnificent cities have been systematically defaced and destroyed by what I will call the undescribably ugly "Slovenly Towers of Greed and Commerce"..... the ever taller high rise glass edifices that are nothing more than Phallic Symbols of the Architects who design them and the Greedy Unscrupulous Property Developers who build them.....
Labour..... including the ruiling Labour Group on Hackney Council should be utterly ashamed of themselves.....
Shoreditch and the rest of Hackney...... indeed the residents of any Borough or City Council which covers part or all of of one of the UK's major cities should beware..... they may well be next in line to fall under the increasing shadow of the "High Rise Monuments of Greed".......
Luke.....I await your justifications for the destruction of Britains urban fabric by Labour...
6:46 pm, May 29, 2009
Luke.....I still await your justifications for the destruction of Britains urban fabric by Labour.....
You could at least be polite by giving me a response rather than ignoring the question I have asked.....
Or is it that you cannot justify Labours hand in ruining Britains urban fabric..?????
1:34 pm, June 04, 2009
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