Colleges row intensifies
Thursday 20th December 2007, 11:46AM GMT.
A public meeting to discuss the co-location of Shrewsbury Sixth Form College and Shrewsbury College will take place tonight – as hundreds of students gear up to protest against the move.
The meeting, in the council chamber at the Guildhall from 7pm and called by Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski, will discuss the controversial proposals which would see both colleges at a site in London Road.
But teachers at Shrewsbury Sixth Form College have been warned by head Bill Dowell that attending the meeting could result in disciplinary action.
However, students from Shrewsbury Sixth Form College plan to show their opposition to the plans with a protest march through the town tomorrow morning.
Parents of pupils at the sixth form college have said they are very concerned about the effect the co-location will have on the town.
Spokesman Andy Geddes said he would be at the public meeting tonight.
“We will be there and we will take it from there,” he said. “The meeting goes ahead because it is an open and democratic meeting.
“We want the principals or their representatives to be there. “They were invited as we were – we don’t want a one-sided debate.”
Shrewsbury College spokesman Peter Staples said: “If people do go tonight they will be going as private individuals.
“We spent somewhere between 18 months and two years consulting and discussing and having public meetings. It has moved on and the application is in.
“If people want to say things now it is really not us they say it to, it is the borough council.”
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Glad to see that Bill Dowell believes in the democracy we live in, which includes freedom of speech.
Interesting to note that he will retire at the end of this academic year and never be part of the ‘new sixth form’ which he strongly believes in!
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i am starting to think the powers that be at both colleges are unaware we actually live in a democracy or whats going on in the world jsut outside theres , it does question there suitabilty to oversee this idea of a co-location
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I think its disgusting that staff at these colleges are not allowed to express their opinion – after all it’s them who will have to work at this “super college” and none of them want this to happen! Bill Dowell should be ashamed of himself!
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Neither Bill Dowell or nobody else can stop these teachers attending this meeting, he has not got one legal ground to support his dictatorial and outrageous position. It is their own time (7.0pm).
Any teacher who chooses to go should do so and, if spoken to by Dowell regarding their attendance in any questioning way, or, if he “holds it against them” as there is a common knack of doing so in this type of environment, they should go to their union and consult a solicitor immediately.
Stupid man, who does he think he is and what power and authority does he think he has over the private lives of teachers. Absolutely none.
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After many years of working in Local Government I am very suspicious of any idea being promoted by someone who will be safe and secure in retirement if it all goes wrong. Most people have to live with their mistakes and be accountable
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Oh lovely, the college will expand and make more profit just what we need…. Seriously though let us jeopardise the many small businesses that rely on the student populous of Shrewsbury. Add over a pound a day travel expense to all those students who commute into college by bus or train as they have to take another mode of transport to get the extra distance to an out of the way site with inadequate parking and access for the proposed super college.
Oh and I almost forgot, let us quash the vast masses, student or teacher by threatening them with disciplinary action should they voice their views in the only methods left open to them.
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I have just returned from the meeting. I think it was highly regrettable that the colleges seeked to undermine the democratic process by not sending a representative, they have done themselves a huge disservice, however one student of the SSFC did his best, which was rather good, to try and defend the project.
I’m sure people will have more specific comments to make later on, but the meeting went very smoothly and a great number of people were able to express their opinions, which were generally well considered.
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Your report suggests that teachers from the Sixth Form college are being threatened with disciplinary action if they attend a public meeting. In a free society, how can you possibly discipline someone for attending a PUBLIC meeting?
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Shrewsbury College spokesman Peter Staples said:
“We spent somewhere between 18 months and two years consulting and discussing and having public meetings. It has moved on and the application is in.
“If people want to say things now it is really not us they say it to, it is the borough council.”
This is correct but what Mr Staples fails to add is that a very large majority of students, staff and pupils from SSFC are and always have been against this colocation. Let’s just hope that teh Council take the opinions of the people that matter more seriously.
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