A mother feels cheated at being forced to kit her son out in a new blazer despite concerted opposition from parents.

Ann Green's 12-year-old son, currently at Haworth's Hartington Middle School, is due to go to Oakbank School next September.

To mark the controversial new two-tier era for Bradford's schools, Oakbank has decided to introduce a new school uniform for the new intake next year, including a blazer.

Parents of the new intake were asked if they wanted new blazers to be introduced and the returned forms showed there was little support for the change.

Mrs Green, of Fellwood Avenue, Haworth, says: "I feel that the parents were asked a question whether they want blazers and all the parents have said no and the governors have then gone ahead and done their own thing. Why haven't the governors listened to the parents?

"Forty nine per cent returned the form, which is pretty good for a parent ballot, and it was an over-whelming majority against.

"They balloted the teaching staff and the non-teaching staff. The teaching staff voted against it, but if they added the non-teaching staff it came out slightly in favour."

Despite the parents' opposition and the close ballot among the school staff, governors at the school decided to go ahead with the change in uniform.

Chairman of governors Mark Curtis says the parents and teachers were asked for their views to inform the debate and not make the final decision.

He says: "We discussed the pros and cons and took everybody's opinion into account."

Mrs Green says the change in uniform is unpopular with the pupils as well as the parents. Her vote against the blazers was based mainly on the view of her youngest son.

Mrs Green, who has a 13-year-old son in Oakbank's year nine, says: "Neither of them wants to wear one and it seems unfair that one will have and the other won't.

"There are parents who cannot afford the blazers. It's just additional expense."

Mrs Green is baffled why the school asked for the public opinion if it was to be seemingly ignored. She says: "Nobody has come back to the parents and asked why. They know the parents don't want them but they haven't asked them why."

Mr Curtis says if parents feel strongly about the blazers they can write to head-teacher John Roberts to request a meeting between parents and governors. He says he would be more than willing to attend the meeting to discuss the change.

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