1:56pm Monday 18th May 2009
By Manisha Mistry
PARENTS stuck in an on-going battle to get their child into one of their three preferred school places came together last week to find a solution to the saga.
Both mothers of children fighting for a primary and secondary school place in their local area held a meeting attended by St Albans MP Anne Main, county councillor for St Albans Chris White, and Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for St Albans Sandy Walkington.
SABLE (St Albans Battle for Local Education) - a group formed by angry parents of the 80 children who failed to secure a place at their nearest primary school, were also invited to Helen Mair's home in The Park, St Albans, where questions were thrown at the politicians in a bid to put an end to their problems.
Mrs Main voiced her absolute support of the parents at the start of the meeting and said she will secure a debate in Westminster to discuss the situation.
Following the meeting, Mrs Mair, whose son was denied any of his three preferred secondary school places, spoke about him being given a place at Francis Bacon School.
She said: “The school allocation system is flawed from start to finish.
“I am glad so many other parents came today and we are glad of the support from Anne Main and Chris White, who are working on an action plan on how they can help us.
“All of Daniel's friends have been allocated places of their choice and he is the only one in his class who hasn't.
“I want my son to go to a community school, where his friends are going and Francis Bacon is not our community school.”
She added: “Our message now is we are not going to go away. I am not going to stop campaigning until we get the school place through the system that we all pay taxes for.”
Francis Bacon School, which is in special measures, is the school most prospective pupils have been allocated, parents at the meeting said, despite it being further away from them than other schools.
Other issues parents are facing include Colney Heath children being allocated a school place in Hatfield.
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