Tutu Foundation criticises Croydon Council for cutting supplementary education funding
THE Tutu Foundation has slammed Croydon Council on the eve of the internationally renowned archbishop's visit to the borough.
The attack comes after last-ditch attempts to persuade councillors to drop plans to cut funding for extra education for struggling children from the black and minority ethic communities (BME) were defeated on Monday.
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Archbishop Desmond Tutu will appear at Fairfield Halls on Tuesday
Chief executive of the Tutu Foundation UK – set up by South African human rights campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu – Alexandra Ankrah branded the decision a "disappointing step".
"I visit programmes for young people all around the UK and see the tremendous difference that supplementary education programmes can make to young lives," she said.
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"I am under no illusions about the funding challenges facing everyone, but there can be no doubt that history will judge harshly if, by our apathy, we place the greatest burden of the economic crisis on those least responsible for it."
Around 40 parents and children attended Monday's meeting of the council to hear Labour members oppose the £100,000 cut in funding, which will hit 16 BME groups.
A Labour motion urging the rethink said the cut "undermines the efforts of the local community to support young people who are let down by mainstream education and ignores the views of the local community."
Labour councillor, Kathy Bee told the meeting she believed secondary schools were "still failing our black children and that isn't good enough."
The council still needed a strategy, she said, which supported people providing additional education.
She said: "They do not need to be funded unquestionably, but they do need a strategy that reflects the needs of their community."
Fellow Labour member, Councillor Donna Gray accused the council of launching an attack on the young people of Croydon and hitting organisations which had served the community for more than 30 years.
Councillor Vidhi Mohan, the cabinet member for communities, claimed that GCSE results had improved recently among pupils from ethnic groups and in the light of that the council needed to look at whether funding supplementary education was the best use of resources.
Councillor Tim Pollard, cabinet member for children, families and learners, said: "We are not suggesting that their work has not been very valuable or unsuccessful."
But, he added, funding for the council had been cut by a third and the budget had to be looked at.
The Labour motion was lost by 36 votes to 33.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu will host Conversation For Change at Fairfield Halls on Tuesday. The Tutu Foundation is offering 200 free tickets for young people and their families. To apply call 0208 6843719.
Comments
by spaniellover
Monday, October 22 2012, 10:54PM
“Damn good decision by the council to end this discrimination - bravo; does the Tutu Foundation not realise that in many parts of Croydon it's the white kids who are a minority?”
by Tony_NF
Sunday, October 21 2012, 10:02AM
“Looking at the behaviour of protesters/role models, in the public gallery, most were shouting, making threats and being aggressive one person was seen encouraging children to call out and a fight almost broke out. I didn't get to hear a lot of the debate due to the constant shouting. If a group of Whites disrupted the meeting in the same manor we would definitely be thrown out, probable arrested.”
by GuyFawk
Friday, October 19 2012, 12:16PM
“Apparently according to more recent newspaper articles it is the young white male who is being left behind. I do hope this is not a racist bias from Alexandra Ankrah.”
by swsquires1
Friday, October 19 2012, 10:36AM
“Firstly, I find it a little rich when the labour councillor says that we are still failing our black children. Labour had 13 years in power, that is long enough to have done something about it. Also, education is education, I cannot understand how teaching white, black, blue, green or purple kids should be any different. You are teaching them Maths, English, Science etc.
A second point, if this impacts 16 organisations and only 40 people (including kids) turned up to protest, there is hardly a large movement here. If I had read that 500 had appeared I would have thought differently.
These organisations supplement what is provided by the state. To me, this means that they should be responsible for raising money. Every day at work I see people doing charity runs, swims, hikes, cake selling, etc to raise money for charities. Many firms also allow staff to devote a number of days per year to work in the community for charities. Across 16 organisations we are talking £6,250 each and if we take the 40 people who turned up, that is £2,500 each (less with gift aid). So, my suggestion, do some marathons, a sponsored swim or something to raise the money.
Don't expect everyone in Croydon to support 16 charities that can only manage to mobilise 40 people for the crunch meeting...”