High Court Schools Victory
Friday 11th February
2011
GMB APPLAUD VICTORY FOR
COUNCILS CHALLENGING MICHAEL GOVE'S SCRAPPING OF SCHOOL BUILDING
PROJECTS ANDURGE OTHER COUNCILS
TO JOIN IN
Other councils and individual
schools who had their promised new schools snatched away will now
seek to have them reinstated says GMB
GMB, the union for school support
staff, commented on the High Court's ruling today against Michael
Gove's decision to scrap the Building Schools for the Future
projects. The six councils who brought the action were Waltham
Forest, Luton, Nottingham City, Sandwell and Dudley, Kent and
Newham. Many more councils could be affected by the ruling.
GMB National Officer Sharon Holder
said" This is a huge victory for councils challenging the
unjustified government cuts. Introduced under the last government,
BSF was meant to refurbish all secondary schools in
Englandover the next 15-20 years. Michael
Gove cancelled this immediately on coming into office including
stopping the 700-or so rebuilding projects already planned or
underway.
The High Court has decided
that Michael Gove failed to consult; had inadequate reasons for
stopping the projects; and had reneged on legitimate expectations.
No doubt all the other councils and individual schools who had
their promised new schools snatched away will now seek to have them
reinstated.
There was a huge outcry when
Michael Gove pulled the plug on plans to improve secondary schools
and now he has had his come-uppance. The learning environment is
crucial to better educational outcomes and Michael Gove failed to
recognise this. It's another shambles from the minister for gaffes,
already widely criticised for his academy and free school policies.
Where will the money for free schools come from now?"
End
Contact: Sharon
Holder 07713 508 725, Brian Strutton 07860 606 137 or 0208 947 3131
GMB Press Office Steve Pryle 07921 289880 or Rose Conroy 07974
251823