Doncaster Thoughts
Brilliant!
Announced today Doncaster LEA have caved in and rejected Reg Vardy's religious foundation's efforts to take over Northcliffe School. The local people rose up and told the LEA what they thought of it. Precisely what they thought of it.
Doncaster had hoped to palm off what they considered a problem school on to the foundation and then blame them if things didn't go well. Now they'll have to stay a little more involved.
Democracy does work!
Schools should not in my mind be run by fundamentalist religious groups of any hue or creed. If parents want to bring their children up in a particular faith then they should do it.
Although Doncaster's attempts to make the lives of Danum School's kids a little safter are laudable, do they have to make the lives of the rest of us ever more miserable?
The kids are pressing the button to the crossing as they pass by, even though they have no intention of crossing, so the cars have to stop thereby adding to the jams at rush hour.
The narrowed junction at the top of Ledger Way coming up from the racecourse has almost led to several accidents. It's a sudden narrowing of a previously perfectly adequate road that is not signposted safely and catches out newcomers and regulars alike.
I would really like to praise the council for
something they've done for the motorist but they seem bent on driving people to Meadowhall. Are they fifth columnists from Sheffield? We demand to know!
The Earth Centre is closing. A pity in a way, but I never felt excited enough by the idea to visit it. Not interactive enough. Nice idea overall though.
I hope Doncaster MBC can make proper use of the facliities.
Doncaster seems to have allowed the thin edge of the wedge of religious extremism to slide under our doors. Conisborough Northcliffe Comp is becoming an Academy, with a couple of million from Reg Vardy's religious foundation, one of the credos of which seems to be creationism.
Northcliffe was put into special measures following a poor Ofsted, but unseemly haste has been shown by the LEA in closing it. All money again. Little time was given for the school to sort out those problems that were identified. Local residents are not pleased, but the LEA couldn't give damn what the parents think, not at all. Money. Wonder where it's all going.
Our youngsters need science and a rigorous approach to questioning the world around them. They don't need myths told as truths parallel to evolution.
Having been through Rossington recently I see the roads are more like a ploughed field than part of a transport infrastructure. Speed bumps are everywhere: pernicious devices designed to damage vehicles and their occupants at well below the 20mph limit. The bumps are everywhere - except outside the three primary schools, where there are no real restrictions. Mental, absolutely mental.
Wow. Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Poetry, sheer poetry.
It's also a lesson in how to alienate an entire town with one idiotic decision.
Doncaster's published the options for access to Finningley Airport.
Option one is do nothing. I'm sure they'd love that one: it costs nothing!
Option two is an M18 exit at Black Bank, a new road leading to Parrot's Corner and then on to Finningley.
Option three is an exit at Armthorpe, Junction 4, then a brand new road across country to Finningley. Additionally the Rossington connection to the M18 at Black Bank would be completed.
Option two will cause most disruption but I bet Option 3 will cost more.
Interesting choices. I think I favour three, since it would mean less through traffic thundering through Armthorpe.
