Numbers don’t add up on school closure

CAN anybody explain why East Riding Council is proposing to close Dunswell School and move its pupils to Woodmansey?.

Under the Government’s new funding formula, I calculate that, in the coming year, Dunswell will receive an extra £1,000 in funding. Woodmansey, with fewer pupils, will lose £62,000.

The cost of educating each pupil at Dunswell is £4,576. The cost per pupil at Woodmansey is £6,218.

Economics would dictate that Woodmansey should close and the pupils transfer to Dunswell.

If this is about pupil numbers, they should know that there are 31 ERYC schools with fewer pupils than Dunswell.

If this is about funding, they should know there are 39 schools where the spend per pupil is higher.

If this is about numbers and funding, they should know there are eight schools which are both more expensive per pupil and where there are more pupils than Dunswell.

If this is about Hull children, they should know they receive £4,613 per pupil from Central Government and they cost £4,576 to educate, at Dunswell.

So why Dunswell?

The Office of National Statistics has reported that in the last 10 years the birth rate has gone up 22 per cent.

There is also talk of building thousands more houses in the area. If we continue down this road, will we have enough school places in the future?

The sooner we have some answers and some transparency, the better.

Heed lessons of history

From: Ian Lyons, Liberal Democrat, Parish Councillor (Baildon East), Cliffe Avenue, Baildon, Shipley.

IT was an honour to join my party colleagues last weekend in rejecting the Government’s plans to introduce “secret courts”, a democratic privilege unique to our membership.

Our aim is to build a stronger economy and a fairer society in the UK, and civil liberties must be at the heart of that plan.

In contrast, it is disturbing that a right-wing party, advocating our isolation from Europe, is becoming so vocal here in Yorkshire, where the economy, and our jobs, are so reliant on this peaceful partnership.

This is quite ironic when you consider that its leader admits to spending millions of his EU expenses on campaigning.

If we continue to tolerate the threat of these extremists our society will inevitably become divided, our economy weakened, and our future unstable.

As a proud Yorkshireman, who fought for this country, I cannot allow that to happen. So, I urge your readers to remember the lessons of history, and challenge these views now, before it goes too far. Silence is complicit.

Giveaway Chancellor

From: Stanley Parr, Maple Avenue, Pershore, Worcs.

IN the past seven days, our Chancellor George Osborne has kindly sent another £371m to Brussels – at the rate of £53m per day. That is a lot of money – our money! Yours and mine!

We hear cries of “I see no police on the beat” and “Our A&E will close, for the sake of £50m for the year”. Consider, what could our local area do with just £53m – let alone £371m?

I think the Chancellor’s cash bucket has a large hole in it – and he is totally ignoring it! Shall I remind him about it? Somebody should! To recover financially, we must leave the EU.

Quality of life is key issue

From: Stuart B Thorn, Canterbury Close, Beverley.

NO amount of money will ever be enough to satisfy the appetite of the National Health Service. That being the case, changes need to be made in how its income is apportioned to ensure the best return on the nation’s investment.

A disproportionate amount of money is currently being spent on those at the two age extremities; if a graph is plotted of expenditure against age it is my expectation that it would produce a “U” curve.

The elderly and pre-term 
babies are growth areas for expenditure; it is a challenge to the medical profession to save ever younger foetuses and ever older geriatrics.

A baby’s gestation period is nine months, the NHS shouldn’t be fighting nature by trying to save foetuses of fewer than 30 weeks.

By the same token for the elderly it is quality of life not quantity.

Many of us “golden oldies” would be happy to relinquish 
our right to life for a pain-
free end.

I know these thoughts will be alien to many, particularly those in the medical profession and some religious groups who believe in preserving life at all cost.

I can’t be alone in believing that it is possible to outlive one’s usefulness and thereafter be a drain on society’s resources.

So the time has come for a major rethink on how NHS expenditure is apportioned.