Parental praise for Westminster

PARENTS of the Sion-Manning School in west London have written to the Secretary of State for Education Kenneth Baker protesting at the media attention given to the "minority" who oppose the reorganisation of schools in Westminster diocese.
The Sion-Manning Parents' Association fears that Mr Baker's policy of preserving schools of "proven academic worth" will quash the diocese's plan to strip the nearby Cardinal Vaughan School of its sixth form, along with other Catholic secondary schools in the area, in favour of a central college.
The letter states that at present schools are too far away from each other and sixth form students spend too much time travelling from school to school in order to study a range of subjects. It also outlines the academic benefits arising from the creation of a new central Catholic Sixth Form College, such as more academic choice with possibilities for vocational and commercial courses.
Finally the letter contends that the present arrangements of 11-18 schools does not allow sufficiently for "human and spiritual development" for 16-19 year olds.