Lost Opportunity for Oxfordshire Youngsters

11.19.04am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 20th Sep 2008

Liberal Democrats are surprised and disappointed at the Government decision to reject a bid by local schools in North Oxfordshire to run a diploma course for their pupils in Environment and Land Management from the start of this school term.

Cllr Jean Fooks, Shadow Cabinet member for Children & Young People, said, "This is particularly bad news for our young people as Warriner School seem ideally placed to offer this new opportunity. In this very rural county, we need young people interested and educated in all aspects of rural life.

"I heard a rumour that the appeal had failed and asked about it at Council last week. I was surprised that no-one, including the Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement, seemed to know anything about it. But I am sorry that it has now definitely been confirmed."

Notes

The new diploma courses for 14-19 year olds are a Government initiative to provide wider choice for pupils. However, Government departments have to approve each course! Warriner School, as part of the North Oxfordshire Consortium of schools, run their own farm and so applied to provide an Environment and Land Based Diploma. This was turned down in April; the County Council appealed and this appeal has just been rejected.