YP Comment: Take politics out of education policy

It should not be like this. These are legitimate public interest issues on a sphere of policy which should, in fact, be above politics because the education of young people across the country is too important to be left to the whims of those Ministers, and Shadow Ministers for that matter, whose confrontational style detracts from the issue at hand – the raising of school standards for the benefit of all.

If there are schools which simply can’t afford to recruit sufficient teachers, the Government is duty-bound to investigate. Simply abdicating responsibility, and saying that this budget has enjoyed protected status at a time of austerity, does not help the future prospects of those youngsters caught up in the crossfire.

It’s the same with academies. Even though Mr Cameron made a passionate defence at Prime Minister’s Questions about the merit of converting every primary and secondary school into an academy, he is only too aware – from no less a figure than the head of education covering his Oxfordshire constituency – that sponsors may not be willing to subsidise the cost of running schools in countryside communities which have above-average running costs.

However the Government seems reluctant to recognise this warning because it has allowed the academy plan to become so polarised. This is regrettable. Schools are the heartbeat of rural villages in Yorkshire. Without them, the community withers away. This is not a party political point. It is a statement of fact and it’s time for Mr Cameron to take his blinkers off.

Wheels of industry: Steel sector needs better roads

IN two telling contributions to the House of Commons on the same day, Penistone and Stocksbridge MP Angela Smith demonstrated the importance of backbenchers being prepared to take a stand.

No one could have failed to spot the passion in the MP’s voice when she turned on those who have written off the steel industry by pointing that every Formula One car, except Ferrari, contained steel manufactured at Tata’s Stocksbridge plant in her constituency.

“We in Stocksbridge are incredibly proud of what we do, and the workforce are passionate about the industry’s future and they intend to have a long-term future, but they need the Government’s support,” she declared.

Equally pertinent was the late-night debate that Ms Smith led on transport links across the Pennines – she told an empty House of Commons that Tata Steel has great difficulty transporting goods from Stocksbridge to a service centre in Bolton, and vice-versa, because tortuous roads like the A57 were not built for those HGVs that help keep the wheels of industry turning in this country (and Formula One).

In using this example, Ms Smith was making a powerful point – South Yorkshire will be unable to fulfil its economic potential unless it enjoys better connections to and from the North West. Expecting drivers to make a detour via the already congested M62 simply puts that motorway under even greater strain. Constructive points, it can only be hoped that the response of Ministers is magnaminous and respectful of a MP doing her best for her constitutents, and her county.

Wisden wonders. Cricket bible honours Bairstow

THAT Jonny Bairstow has been acclaimed as one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year is indicative of Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s commitment to home-grown players.

Without the wicket-keeper batsman being given the chance by Yorkshire to find his form following a stop-start international career, Bairstow would not have become an integral member of last summer’s Ashes-winning squad before producing the innings of his life for England against the South Africans at Cape Town when he shared a record partnership with the belligerent Ben Stokes who has also been honoured by Wisden, cricket’s bible.

In contrast to those sides that pay “lip service” to youth development, Yorkshire’s two successive County Championship wins have their foundations in the white rose county thanks to local players. As the 2016 season makes a rather soggy start, one cricketing adage continues to stand the test of time – “a strong Yorkshire is a strong England”. Long may this be the case.