More support for Kingsbury student strikers

Kishan Parshotam

It was good to see Kishan Parshotam, chair of Brent Youth Parliament put Tim Loughton, parliamentary under-secretary of state for children, on the spot at the UK Youth Parliament last weekend.

Kishan questioned Loughton about academies consultation and highlighted the recent strike and protest by Kingsbury High School students.

Meanwhile Brent Fightback issued a statement of support for the Kingsbury students:

Brent Fightback, the local campaign against cuts and for  democratically  accountable public services, applauds Kingsbury High School students who  took part in the recent strike. Fightback recognises that this was a  strike for democracy by school students who had been deprived of any  voice in the decision by school governors to seek academy status.

We believe that such decisions should be made only after a full and open debate where both sides are heard followed by a ballot of staff, students and parents and taking into account the views of other schools and community organisations. It must be wrong for a school governing body to make a decision based on short-term financial expediency to the detriment of a well-funded, equitable and democratically accountable  local education system.