Keighley school campaigners claim Bradford council plans to force children into Greenhead Grammar School.

Sources at the council revealed the 'secret proposal' to the newly-formed Keighley Education Action Group (KEAG) this week.

The group says the council's long-term plan is to compel children in Silsden, Steeton and Eastburn to attend Greenhead. That would save Bradford council the millions of pounds each year it pays North Yorkshire county council to educate children from the three villages, mostly at South Craven School at Cross Hills..

But Bradford education chairman Cllr Jim Flood attacked the claims, saying: "The current arrangements have been in place for some time and there are no so-called 'secret plans' to change this, as the Keighley Education Action Group has claimed."

KEAG spokesman Val Wright says: "It's time Bradford council stopped playing games with Keighley's education. It has failed to provide enough places for children in the Oakbank pyramid and now it seems it wants to do the same with Greenhead. Bradford is failing the future citizens of Keighley by wrecking its schools system. There simply won't be room for all our children."

Conservative councillor Eric Dawson says: "Assuming that this story is correct, I view with horror the implications that this will have on future education for the children of Silsden, Steeton and Eastburn.

"Notwithstanding the numbers affected by this secret plan, no consideration whatsoever appears to have been given to any additional numbers of pupils that will result from proposed development in Silsden, Steeton and Eastburn.

"As a ward councillor I demand that this Labour authority comes clean and makes its secret plans known to the public at large."

Cllr Flood adds: "Children in Keighley and neighbouring areas already travel considerable distances to secondary schools both in Keighley and elsewhere because of the choices their parents wish to make. If we tried to restrict Keighley children to schools within the town boundary, parents might well feel the council was limiting their options.

"The same principles apply to parents exercising a choice for their children to attend South Craven schools. If it was appropriate to consider a change in those arrangements the parents would be involved in any discussions.

"Whether secondary school pupils are educated five minutes from their doorstep or five miles from their doorstep, if their schools are within this district and this local education authority, they will get the best education we can possibly provide."

Councillor attacks KN,

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School shake-up latest,

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