Lewisham Bridge

PARENTS FIGHTING the closure of Lewisham Bridge primary school held a lively demonstration on 9 May in Lewisham town centre. Earlier that week, parents protested outside Prendergast school whose Leathersellers Company sponsors will probably take over the new 'all-age' 3-16 school planned to replace Lewisham Bridge.

Gordon Brown was speaking there on 'parent power'! Parents told Brown that they were already involved in their children's education and that some of them had joined a rooftop protest against their school's demolition.

Lewisham National Union of Teachers branch secretary Martin Powell-Davies pointed out that "If Gordon wants to listen to parents, he could start by telling Lewisham council to scrap its plan that would demolish Lewisham Bridge school and hand over the site to Prendergast.

"Far from increasing parent power, handing over schools to form Trust federations reduces parental representation on the governing body. Elected parental places are replaced by places appointed by the Trust.

"Teachers and parents should work together to put blame where it really lies - with a government that wants to break up local authority schools and ignore local objections".

This campaign's plans now focus on a council motion being submitted by Socialist Party councillors Ian Page and Chris Flood that calls for the postponement of any decision to demolish Lewisham Bridge school.

The Defend Education in Lewisham campaign will lobby the council meeting at the Town Hall, Catford at 6.30pm on Wednesday 20 May.