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| Andrew Pope |
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| Southampton Independents Emblem |
Responding to the OFSTED "Further education and skills inspection report" Andrew Pope, Southampton Independents Councillor for Redbridge and Parliamentary Candidate for Southampton Test said:
"The problems at City College are another case of Labour or Tory, same old story.
Instead of bickering at Westminster or in the Council about who is at fault, they should be getting to the root of the problems. That's what Southampton Independents do. We listen and act.
As a former college student myself in IT, I understand the importance of vocational education to the development of young people and Southampton's economy.
Funding has been cut by the Tory Government, but the Labour Council has not been making the right decisions on education, removing funding previously promised from schools, which impacts on the ability to achieve at college level.
Labour and Tory councillors have voted for millions to be spent on the "Arts Complex" but education is more important. They have the wrong priorities.
And last year's Council Scrutiny Panel of Labour and Tory councillors that looked at City College, seems to have made no difference whatsoever. Labour and Tory councillors put their party, not the people first, so how can they scrutinise themselves?
The Labour Council has failed its statutory duty to Southampton's young people and families, as has the Labour MP for 20 years Alan Whitehead. Mr Whitehead has failed Southampton's young people too. But the Tory Government has failed also.
The OFSTED report is clear that the Labour Council and Tory Government are failing, with unemployment 'higher then regional and national averages'. Totton College, like City College, has experienced similar problems. I intervened there back in 2015. Further education in Southampton is in trouble.
Both Labour and the Tories are more concerned with covering up, instead of moving pupils up, when it comes to education.
Like Southampton Independents said about Labour and Tory failings on school education, pupils and families deserve the best."