The end of the road

A message came at 3.30 this afternoon. "Come upstairs to the staffroom as soon as you can."
Gradually the staff drifted in. One look at L. the acting deputy's face was enough to tell everyone there the latest news on the closure. The final attempt to fight it had taken place that morning. The council and it's various committees had been closeted all afternoon debating their decision - or at least, that was what they would have everyone believe. A cynic might take the view that the decision had been set in stone since it was first mooted. The school will definitely close in July.
"I'm sorry," said L. She struggled to say more.
Outside the window, dark clouds were becoming darker and heavy rain continued to fall into the puddles on the flat roof.

7 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

So sorry to hear it. Relatively speaking, the Victorians must have put so much more into public education - so many little village schools, so many proud stone edifices in our cities. Now we are ruled by spreadsheets, accountants, weasel words and illusions of consultation.


Stylistically, I loved your last sentence.

Dale said...

Yes, Ma'am. I agree whole-heartedly with the pudding man. Whole-heartedly.

What's next, then? Re-retirement with a fat salary package?

Jennytc said...

Thanks, YP. It is true. No account is taken of what's best for the pupils of the school. It is thought that the land is earmarked as a prime house-building, of course.

No such luck, Dale. I am only on a temporary contract this time. I had hoped to be there till July but that looks a lot less certain now.

Arthur Clewley said...

That's bad news jenny. it's happening everywhere. In Hurworth near here Darlington Council are trying to close an entire comprehensive and bus the kids to some overcrowded failing shithole just to get hold of the land. What the local community needs for the ecducation of it's children is the last thing on anyone's mind that makes these decisions.

what will you do? are there other schools local to you? Best wishes for whatever you do after next summer

Anonymous said...

That's sad news. The two things that this country should have is first rate education and health services. Thanks to the powers that be they're anything but. I really feel for people like you as it never seems to change for the better does it.
Have a good, relaxing Sunday.

Jennytc said...

Arthur, there are too many teachers chasing too few jobs these days - I'll be on supply again and working on getting my counselling work off the ground by then, hopefully.

You are right, Flighty. It's all about poiticians scoring points off one another and what will bring in the highest financial returns, not about people at all.

Anonymous said...

This is reminiscent of those 'Dame Sylvie Krin' specials in Private Eye about the latest shenanigans of the Prince Of Wales...

Plaster board and dust

So, we're still no further forward on the British Gas smart meter front and I've given up making non-existent appointments with them...