By Isle of Wight Observer
Opposition to potential primary school closures has stepped up.
Parents, teachers and community campaigners have called public meetings and organised petitions to try to put a stop to proposals to close schools.
In Brading, there will be a public meeting on Thursday, September 19 at St Mary’s Church at 6.30pm.
In Arreton parents staged a protest outside the school on Tuesday.
Cllr Michael Lilley organised a public meeting last week to raise concerns about the closure of Oakfield.
A public meeting with the parish council and Cllr Rodney Dower will discuss the closure of Wroxall Primary School on September 16 at Stenbury Hall at 8pm.
On September 16, the Save Cowes Primary School campaign will host a meeting at the school at 6pm to discuss the consultation.
There have been petitions started to save each of the schools.
Cllr Jonathan Bacon said: ” We welcome the involvement of the public and we want to hear their views.
“Throughout this process we have tried to work with the professionals at the coalface. The IW Executive Headteachers’ Group, which represents the majority of Island schools, has repeatedly made it clear that they understand and agree that some schools must close because of the current over-supply of places. That has not made the individual decisions any easier for anybody – but the IW Council has been grateful for their support for the overall approach to how we must tackle the problem.”
He added that there would be additional financial control over the coming months, as the IW Council would inherit the debts of any schools that do close.