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| NEWS | By RICHARD OSLEY and SUNITA RAPPAI |
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A crisis over a shortage of secondary school places exploded yesterday (Wednesday) when a mother and daughter chained themselves to the Town Hall. Catherine Wilson, 37, shackled herself to the Judd Street building in King’s Cross in protest at being refused a place for 12-year-old daughter Korein at her nearest school. Korein has missed lessons for more than 12 months while her mother has battled through the appeal process in a failed bid to get her daughter into oversubscribed Hampstead School in Westbere Road, West Hampstead. As flustered officials yesterday (Wednesday) reacted to the protest by attempting to reassure Ms Wilson that a second-choice place would soon be ready for Korein at Haverstock School in Chalk Farm, it emerged that the worrying case could be the tip of the iceberg with hundreds of parents facing similar hurdles. Long-serving Liberal Democrat councillor Margaret Little warned Monday’s full council meeting that distressed parents have been told that Camden’s schools are full up and that they should try alternatives as far away as Wood Green in Haringey. She said: “Parents have given up. It really isn’t practical. It cuts children off from their own age group and peer group.” Worse news for parents planning future applications is the spiralling waiting lists which are understood to have risen past the 100 pupil mark at some schools. Cllr Little added that the head at William Ellis in Highgate Road, Kentish Town, had told her that the school had 95 parents appealing against rejections. “Obviously they wouldn’t all have been able to get places,” she said. Ms Wilson, who suffers from anxiety and insomnia, said that, demoralisingly, neighbours living just yards from her house in Kingsgate Road, West Hampstead, had secured places for Hampstead School, while other offers had gone to forward-thinking parents who tactically bought homes in the heart of the school’s catchment area. “I appealed against the decision with letters sfrom my doctor,” she said. “I was concerned that we find a school for Korein that was nearby so I didn’t have to worry about her travelling long distances on her own. In the end my health got worse and I had no choice but to keep Korein out of school. This has been a nightmare for both of us.” The mother and daughter repeated their protest at Camden’s education headquarters in the Crowndale Centre in Eversholt Street, Somers Town, before outlining concerns to an admissions official. Korein, who dreams of one day becoming a doctor, said: “They promised to get me into a school but they don’t keep their promises. It made me feel very depressed and really disgusted and like I wasn’t good enough. “If they could get other children in, then why not me? I just want to go to a real school with kids my own age.” Korein has received glowing reports from tutors at the Bridge Education centre in Somers Town where she has been attending lessons as a desperate alternative to going to school. A council press official last night (Wednesday) confirmed that Korein was in line for a place at Haverstock, although could not confirm when her first day at school will be. He said: “We are continuing to work with the family and school to identify a start date. Although Hampstead School could not offer Korein a place in September 2003, places were offered at two other schools, however these were refused. “Since then, we have been working with the family to try to make alternative arrangements.” Quizzed on the growing problem, education boss Councillor Nick Smith said: “Many of Camden’s schools are extremely popular and some of them are oversubscribed. “It has been a difficult period in which we have worked to try and match students with places to make sure they get a good as choice as is possible, as soon as possible. There is a strategic issue and we are trying to make an admissions policy that works better.” |
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