website

Barry Sheerman MP

for Huddersfield

Archive for January, 2008

Almondbury Library

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008

A particularly important local issue at the moment is the Almondbury Library. Almondbury library is a beautifully designed building and one of the oldest libraries in the country, founded by an American foundation, the Carnegie Trust, which established a lot of free libraries in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. There is a move by the council, unfortunately supported by the three Liberal Democratic councillors, to close it and instead integrate library facilities into a new Sure Start programme. This will be located at the other end of the village behind the chemist shop on a spare piece of land which used to be an allotment.

I’ve looked at this situation very carefully. Having met with the leaders of those protesting about the proposed closure and I’ve been very impressed by the case that they make and I think they are absolutely right. This would be the closure of an historic library that is very much loved and much used by local people. I passionately believe in Sure Starts and there is nothing wrong in putting a new Sure Start in the centre of Almondbury village but I visit Sure Starts all the time; they don’t have to combine a library. They might have a book lending resource for children but that’s different from having a proper library.

Almondbury residents want the library they love and use and to preserve a very important part of the oldest and most historic part of Huddersfield. It would be I think an act of vandalism to close it and sell it off for flats or apartments. I think we should keep this very good library and even expand it and develop it, building on a children’s section at the back for example. I also want the Sure Start to go ahead as a separate project.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Work of the Select Committee

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

This has been a very interesting and busy week. The House is now sitting and business is rattling through. On Mondays and Wednesdays we have the Select Committee; last week we had we had a full meeting lasting for two and a half hours calling to account Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. That was a very productive session for several reasons. We’ve been building the team of the new committee since November and this was the first time I’ve felt that the team was really gelling in terms of the questions that they asked. We also got some very interesting answers. The Minister flagged up a real change on an issue that I have been campaigning on recently, namely faith schools and the Government’s attitude towards their expansion. Our regular meetings with and interrogations of ministers are a very important part of our job to scrutinize the department.

We have got another meeting tomorrow with the School’s Minister, Jim Knight, and with the Schools Commissioner and the Schools Adjudicator. We want the Commissioner and the Adjudicator to come in and look at the sort of things that we help change in terms of legislation and see how we are trying to change the attitude towards admissions. We would like to tighten up the schools admissions code with the help of the Commissioner, to make sure that everybody gets a fair crack at the admissions process rather than just a privileged minority getting their way because they happen to know the way the system works. So it is an exciting time for the Select Committee.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Education and Skills Bill

Monday, January 14th, 2008

Today was a big day in the world of education. There was a major debate on the new Education and Skills Bill that I was happy to be called to speak during. The Bill encompasses principles very similar to those included in my Private Members’ Bill last year in which I focussed on giving every young person the chance to fulfil their potential through education and training right up to the age of 18. I believe in lifelong learning but what I really want this Bill to do, and what was also the essential element of my Private Members’ Bill, is to give young people the personalised learning and the mentoring that will help them choose the right academic, non academic or vocational course. It will also to ensure that they stay in some form of education, training or work with training until the age of 18.

A high percentage of young people these days have the chance not only to stay on in education to 18 but to stay in education until 21, undertake postgraduate education and even a second gap year if they so wish, not entering full time employment until their mid twenties. I want every young person in this country to be able to stay in education and training or work with training until the age of 18. That gives them a fair chance. I think this new Bill will do this, and it’s not trapping people in school; there are many different ways that they can stay in education and training.

I passionately believe that the initiatives in this Bill will change the culture of our country. It will take time but because it won’t come into force until 2013 and only fully in 2015, we have plenty of time to make sure that this works. We have time to find out what the best options are to keep young people engaged in education and training right the way through to 18. I’ve come up with two ways of approaching this. Firstly lets have a commission of people who are knowledgeable about education and training; they can be academics, employers, sportsmen and so on. They can help to devise the kind of things young people want in that gap between 16 and 18. Secondly, a shadow commission of young people themselves to help design what is right for them. The watchword will be quality. If what we offer people between the ages of 14 and 19 is something of high quality it will be popular, people will do it, we will change the culture of this country and people will get the chance to fulfil their potential.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »