School playing fields: Government apology for wrong data

[dipsydoodle]

The Department for Education has apologised after giving inaccurate figures about the number of school playing fields sold off in England.

This month, it said the disposal of 21 playing fields had been approved since the May 2010 general election but has now upped that figure to 30.

It said the department had been provided with wrong data by officials.

The Daily Telegraph reported ministers had overruled advisers to approve sales five times in the last 15 months.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19291911


Keep the flame alive: Michael Gove pushed through sales of school playing fields against official advice

Michael Gove has ignored the opposition of the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel to approve sell-offs five times in the past 15 months, documents show. It has also emerged that the number of sales given the go-ahead by Mr Gove is far higher than the amount admitted by the Coalition this month.

Mr Gove apologised for publishing the wrong figures, saying he had been given incorrect information by his officials.

Labour has written to Mr Gove’s most senior civil servant demanding to know why the panel’s advice was being ignored, while council leaders — who have a representative on the panel — said they were “concerned” about the developments.

Applications for the sales of school playing fields in England have to be approved by the Education Secretary, after being considered by the independent panel. But the identities of the panel members remain secret and their findings are not published.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/keep-the-flame-alive/9481037/Keep-The-Flame-Alive-School-playing-fields-at-risk-as-ministers-relax-building-rules.html

[LeftishBrit]

1. People may wish to sign the 38 Degrees petition about this

http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/prevent-the-sale-of-school-playing-fields-in-london-and-beyond

[dipsydoodle]

2. That particular one

amazes me more than some others. If you check out the school on Google maps, which throws up if you just search the school, the playing field, as is , is tiny. I'm inclined to think that given the area and the sheer value of that land that there's some graft involved here.

edit : I wrote paying field instead of playing field although paying might have been more appropriate anyway.

[tjwmason]

4. There's also a more general one

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/playing-fields

Both worth signing, imo.

[non sociopath skin]

3. Isn't about time someone apologised for us having the wrong government?

The Skin

[dipsydoodle]

5. List here

http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/foi/disclosuresaboutschools/a00212712/school-playing-fields