Schools to plead case on closures

The cabinet is meeting on Wednesday to discuss a report which recommends closing 22 schools and merging 16 more.

Council leaders claim radical change is needed because of declining pupil numbers and money pressures.

Hundreds of people are expected to demonstrate outside the council's headquarters ahead of the meeting.

Communications officer Simon Alton said the number of people turning up could reach 1,000.

"A representative from each school is being given three minutes to have their say," he said.

Proposed school closures

• Adderley
• Barrow
• Beckbury
• Buildwas
• Cheswardine
• Church Preen
• Dorrington
• Farlow
• Hope
• Hopton Wafers
• Kinlet
• Maesbury
• Moreton Say
• Morville
• Myddle
• Nesscliffe St Andrews
• Onny
• Rushbury
• Selattyn
• Tilstock
• Welshampton
• Weston Lullingfields

The council debate, which starts at 1000 GMT, will be relayed on loud speakers in the council foyer to enable people to hear proceedings.

If councillors approve the closure programme, the plans will go out to public consultation from the 4 February to 18 April with a final decision taken in July.

Changes will come into effect in September 2009.

Shropshire County Council has said that falling pupil numbers mean 25% of all primary school places could be vacant by 2012, equating to 5,450 empty seats.

The schools under threat and the others proposed for amalgamation account for 7.4% of the primary school population in the county excluding Telford. There are 141 primary schools under the council's jurisdiction.

Parents, teachers and pupils at the closure-threatened schools have been organising separate protests in protest.

Wednesday's meeting will be the first time schools have come together to protest.

Church leaders have also criticised the plans claiming they will harm village communities.

It is thought the closures would save about £733,000 in the first year and £1.8m in the second.

Schools which could merge are: Ashford Carbonell and Caynham, Lydbury North and Clunbury and Oakland and Longmeadow.

In addition there are proposals to amalgamate separate infant and junior schools at Mount Pleasant, the Grange, Meole Brace, Springfield, Oswestry infants and Beech Grove juniors.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Shropshire County Council
Department for Children, Schools and Families
Save Cheswardine school website
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