Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, has announced that Wokingham Borough Council’s controversial plans to alter the admissions criteria for Maiden Erlegh School are to be thrown out. This is good news for local parents who have campaigned hard over the past year.
Park ward residents know that Rob Wilson MP for Reading East has always opposed the changes and he and Wazir Hussain supported those parents affected by the now rejected proposals. Rob says " I am a strong advocate of parents having a choice of schools and one of those choices should be their local school and these proposals seemed to prevent this for my constituents. This reversal means that many Park Ward children will still be able to walk to school which is fantastic news.
Choice is essential in education in helping to drive up standards. Although not something recog-nised by the Schools Adjudicator, the changes would have offered parents in Park ward only one choice of secondary school which I could never have supported."
Education is one of Rob’s priori-ties and he plans to keep up the pressure and ensure parents are given an increased choice of schools. Exciting plans for a new school in East Reading are with the Department of Education and an announcement is expected shortly as to whether it will receive money in the 2012 funding round.