Parents protest ILEA break-up | IMGpapers 1980

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The Tory attack on ILEA has provoked a widespread response. Teachers and ancillary workers' unions, Labour Parties etc - all have declared opposition & held local protest meetings.

One interesting development in the growing opposition has been the setting up of boroughwide parents' associations determined that the break-up of Britain's most progressive education authority does not occur.

Starting with WASP, similar organisations have been set up elsewhere as in Lambeth where, SINGLE-ISSUE Since its formation, LAMP has held public meetings, leaflettongs and organised letters to the Lady Young Committee. It has gathered a wide response and, at present, has a representative in all of the borough's 128 schools.

The ability of LAMP to draw in such wide support -trom left-wing Labour activists to parents representing the ten Catholic schools in the area -is no accident. It stems from the fact that it is willing to unite all organisations & individuals - whatever their other views - on the concrete task at hand: defending ILEA. ADVANTAGES Although many of us in LAMP recognise the Tory attack on ILEA is just part of their general thrust, limiting the campaign to a single issue with precise objectives has a distunct advantage.

First, it enables us to build the widest opposition to the Tory attack - and that, after all, is the only way that ILEA will be saved. And, serorcy it allows many people toe! through a concrete stret with the government:. can open their minds io ::.=" aspects of its policles. YOUNG CTTEE Building the widest possibie alliance is key since - although the Baker Report dropped -the Young Cttee will soon be delivering a new one, possibly this September or October.

The very fact that the Committee has refused to include teachers, parents or members of the ILEA on it - i.e, anyone concerned with education! -gives a clue as to what it may come out with. Even though it might - under pressure - recommend the retention of ILEA, it could still do so with such reforms as to make its dissolution by another name.

In this sense, continuing to build the campaign on alongterm basis remains the only viable perspective