Midweek Column: Education and Schools

Written by Mike Bell and published in Weston Mercury Midweek on Wed 17th Jun 2009

WELCOME to the second of my monthly columns.

Do you think there are too many school tests for kids these days?

Is there too much meddling by politicians who think they know better than parents and teachers? If you have a view I'd like to hear it.

Our children are the future and we want schools in Weston to give them the best opportunities in life they can get.

I'm in the middle of visiting local schools to listen to teachers, pupils and parents about what needs to be changed and how I can help.

My first visit was to Hillside First School, which is where I began my education 30 years ago - a lot has changed since then!

There are many great teachers and committed parents working to make Weston's schools the best. The Government needs to trust them to get on with the job instead of forcing them to jump through hoops with more tests, more paperwork and endless targets.

My wife is expecting our first child in just a few weeks and our little boy will be going to a Weston school just like I did, so I am as determined as ever to do all I can to make sure education is a top priority.

Every pupil in a local school receives £300 a year less funding than the national average. We should be fighting for our schools to get the thousands of pounds they are being short-changed so they can invest in new technology and recruit and keep the best teachers for our children.

So please get in touch and tell me your views so we can work together to give our children the best start in life that we can.