Cramming children into an anthill is a nightmare

Published: 13 May, 2010

• YOUR Comment (Politicians’ tough choices as they size up classrooms, May 6) and article on the proposed expansion of St Paul’s CofE Primary accurately and justly reflect the consternation of the majority over the issue.
Until February 1 this year I was the longest-serving governor and vice-chair at St Paul’s; outspoken in my opposition to “bulge” class schemes and this latest, greater, travesty. 
“Robbing Peter to pay Paul” has never been a sound economic policy, or a moral one.
The more so when the Paul in question, St Paul’s Primary, lies is in leafy, well-heeled, Primrose Hill and the three schools losing out so much the poorer from the outset.
But leaving this and rumours of “bats in the belfry” aside, the scheme to more than double the intake of pupils and squash them into the same, modestly sized campus, knocking down and rebuilding around the ears of bewildered pupils and staff, is folly, pure and simple.
While the integrity and good intentions of the pro-expansion caucus of governors is taken for granted, if they truly believe standards of education and quality of life will improve after shoe-horning more than twice the number of children into the same, limited, space their soundness of judgment must be questioned.
Especially since this proposal was not forced upon the school by Camden but sought out and touted for by the chairman, treasurer and headteacher. They have misguidedly pursued a fundamentally bad idea too far and too long without staff or parental support.
Cramming children into an overcrowded anthill is certainly no win for them, yet this is the nightmare being dreamed up!
Camden education department got themselves into this hole by miscalculating the number of primary places needed; they need to find another way out of it.
But let’s be clear, pulling others into the hole won’t help; perhaps Thursday’s local election results might.
NICK WILLIAMS
Adelaide Road
NW3