The lack of school places in Brighton & Hove is a growing problem each year, and yet the council has continued to deal with the issue by taking relatively ‘last minute’ extreme measures.

The creation of new infant schools with no long-term plan for junior feeder schools, or the constant expansions of already burdened schools provide short-term solutions only.

 Across the city, 6 schools are being expanded, some of these decisions having been taken with very little consultation with the Head or Governors, and in some cases no consultation with parents at all. These seemingly last minute decisions surely highlight a failure in the council’s figures and do not inspire confidence for the future, especially as this problem will eventually reach secondary school level; at present there are approximately 500 more children in primary schools than there are places in secondary schools!

The council’s refusal to deal with this issue year after year suggests at best, incompetency at the highest level, at worse a total disregard for the city’s increasing population.

We are fed up of listening to excuses dressed up as reasons, and call for the council to make education top priority, over and above tourism and housing; what is the point of constantly building new homes if there is no infrastructure to support them?

We are no longer prepared to put up with highly paid officers failing to acknowledge the problem properly, and would like to see new officers brought in to look at this issue with a fresh, creative, and fearless approach.

We therefore call for the resignation of the officers responsible.