AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after false information about school closures was released.
Cabinet member for education Coun Jim Dodds made the announcement following allegations that six North Kirklees schools, including Batley Girls' High School and Batley Business and Enterprise College, were due to close.
Coun Dodds (Con, Denby Dale
) told the full council meeting last Wednesday that the claims – which also intimated that Thornhill, Westborough, Birkdale and Spen Valley Sports College have been earmarked for closure – were false.
He said: "It is disgusting. The information was incomplete and not factual.
"It was not designed to help the Building Schools for the Future programme but to damage the relationship with headteachers, governors and parents.
"It has done damage to the very people whom we are supposed to help – young people.
"I'm taking it very seriously and a full investigation is underway."
Coun Dodds said the options, which would be put to schools and the public before anything was decided, had not even been put together yet.
Consultations began last year when the public were asked their views on how they wanted the council's Building Schools for the Future programme to take shape.
Options included the introduction of academies – state-funded independent schools backed by private sponsorship.
Coun Dodds revealed a meeting was held last week with headteachers from the Spen Valley, Dewsbury and Batley.
He said: "They were all understandably upset but they listened to what I said and they are still fully committed to what we are trying to do.
"I'm fully committed to ensuring headteachers, governors and staff are informed in the correct way." The second phase of consultations begins in September.
Council leader Robert Light (Con, Birkenshaw) said: "When things are taken out of context, it leads to something like this materialising.
"That's not the shape of the plan that will materialise in September.
"We will give a full proposal that will include the primary sector, as you can't move from a three tier-system without looking at the primary sector, and we will also be looking at post-16 education.
"This is a huge programme and a huge plan."
