Lianne Williams Takes Campaign to Save Ewing School to the Streets of Didsbury Village (Manchester Liberal Democrats Online)

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Lianne Williams Takes Campaign to Save Ewing School to the Streets of Didsbury Village

January 18, 2009 2:06 PM

Lianne Williams, John Leech MP and Cllr Graham Shaw Campaigning to Save Ewing School in Didsbury

Popular local Liberal Democrat campaigner Lianne Williams has taken her campaign to save West Didsbury's Ewing School from closure to the streets of Didsbury Village with a mass petitioning push to show Town Hall Labour Education bosses the strength of local support for the highly-regarded special school.

Parents and governors are outraged by the Labour Council's proposal to close Ewing School in West Didsbury. The school caters for 86 children with a variety of language and communication problems. Under the proposal, the majority of the pupils would be moved to 9 "havens" attached to mainstream schools, in order to "integrate them into the mainstream."

Didsbury West Liberal Democrat Councillor Graham Shaw, who has twice opposed the plan in council meetings, said:

"I am very unhappy about this proposal. The teachers at Ewing work very hard to help pupils who are capable of entering mainstream, and they have achieved some remarkable successes. However for most of the children this is not possible, and they are just as entitled as anyone else to a good education where they can develop and feel secure. Because of the high concentration of staff and expertise, they are able to deal with the wide range of individual problems the children have, and achieve remarkable results. Ewing School is already inclusive of pupils, but in special units attached to mainstream schools, they would feel less included, not more."

Lianne Williams, who is supporting the campaign by parents and governors to keep Ewing open, said:

"I attended their Christmas play with John Leech MP, and was hugely impressed with the high standard of the production. It was a very happy occasion for all. Afterwards, proud parents were eager to tell us of the enormous progress their children have made. Parents are desperately worried by the plan to send their children into the mainstream system."

John Leech MP, who has raised the matter in Parliament, has vowed to "fight to the death" against the closure. John said:

"The high reputation of Ewing School spreads far beyond Manchester. One parent told us how she had moved from Newcastle just so her child could attend. The Council must listen to the parents, teachers and governors, and abandon this foolish proposal."

The campaign to save Ewing School (Central Road) and Lancasterian School's secondary provision (Elizabeth Slinger Road) has had a huge response from outraged Didsbury and West Didsbury residents.

Lianne Williams and the local Lib Dem team have vowed to fight these plans in partnership with parents, teachers and local residents.

Lianne said:

"People are horrified that the Labour Council wants to close and strip-out local schooling provision in what looks like a crude money-saving exercise.I will work to halt the plans of Labour Town Hall Education bosses to close the excellent Ewing School on Central Road. Many local residents signed our Petition against the closure in Didsbury Village at the weekend, and you can sign the petition started by the school at the following link:

http://petition.co.uk/save_ewing_autism_and_speech_and_communication_specialist_school_in_manchester

ENDS