THE message from Liberal Democrat spokeswoman Jeanette Sunderland at this week's education committee meeting seemed to sum up the reaction to the whole of Bradford's schools review.

She told education chairman Jim Flood: "The Labour group keeps coming up with the message 'trust us, trust us,' but judging by the sheer number of people who turned up for this meeting it is clear that there is a strong element of distrust."

What else but a massive element of distrust would motivate more than 100 parents and children from one school in Ilkley to spend the second day of the Easter holidays travelling by train to Bradford to sit in on what is normally a dull committee meeting?

To be fair, a complete reorganisation of the education system in a district the size of Bradford was bound to cause upset for the thousands of people affected.

Education officers have studied other districts which have carried out the same strategy in order to learn from their mistakes and successes.

But the early indications are not promising. Aside from all the upset caused by abolishing middle schools en-masse and making all their staff redundant - albeit on paper - there seems to be an absence of logic in the proposal to close Ashlands First School and move All Saints to the site.

Four primary schools in Ilkley: Sacred Heart RC, Bolling Road, Ashlands and a new All Saints on the Skipton Road site, would seem to cater adequately for local educational need.

Is it any wonder then that locals are searching for more cynical money-grabbing motives behind the decision to abolish such a successful and popular school as Ashlands?

The sad reality is that parents, teachers and governors in the Wharfe Valley do not trust Bradford Council at a time when such trust is vital to the success of the whole enterprise.

Councillor Flood has invited all those who disagree with the proposed education review as it stands to contact the review team with viable alternatives. He can be sure of a lively response from this part of the world.

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