Secondary Schools under the Langley Park Learning trust are now embarking on a feeder schools scheme, and people are outraged.
This means that children who attended Hawes Down, Clare House and Langley Park Primary schools will be given priority over places at the secondary schools. A student's location and distance from the school will become significantly less important. Several have complained that homes close to the schools will subsequently lose value.
However I would suggest that a far more detrimental impact will be had on the environment. The new scheme will undoubtedly increase travelling time for children who now will have to find other schools further away. The result of this will of course be an uptake in children being driven to school, and thus an increase in air pollutants.
I spoke to concerned parent Kathryn Sanwell who had this to say: We are in times in which we are all more aware of the impact on the planet of our fuel consumption. We all are attempting to improve our children's futures by reducing our emissions . This proposal would have the opposite effect - with children who travel to Langley from further way and those who live near travelling to schools further away by car or bus. I am deeply worried about the congestion and pollution that will happen as a result.
Would you agree? Others have extenuated to point out notes of classism behind this private-education-derivative. This criticism stems from the fact that all of the schools involved are located in typically richer areas of the Bromley borough. This means less choice for families who can't afford homes near these feeder schools and families who cannot afford to go private.
Petitions against this policy have been created and signed - who can say if they will have any impact?
