I think the Local Education Authority acted utterly irresponsibly in the allocation of secondary school places.

My child is just starting to explore the territory around where he lives. I am absolutely opposed to the idea of him having to walk or cycle twice a day across unfamiliar roads in a territory which is alien to him, especially when there are three schools closer.

I will not put my child in a dangerous situation.

The LEA has had ten years' notice to plan for the baby boom which happened in 1988.

So what do they do?

Close down Queen Anne's School and allocate places to children miles away from their local area.

Why didn't it apply the resources available to the areas where they were needed most?

I hope the LEA realises the anguish and utter despair they have brought upon the parents and children faced with this ludicrous decision.

K Warriner,

Kilburn Road,

Fulford,

York.

...I am a parent whose child has been caught up in this shameful admissions crisis brought about by City of York Council.

I was appalled to read that the authority is considering additional classroom accommodation for pupils in Acomb (Evening Press, March 9), while all they seem to be considering for us in the Fishergate-Fulford area is the possibility of transport to ferry our children across town to a school on the other side of the city.

All we ask for here in Fulford is that our children can be educated in a local school.

We want them to be allowed to enjoy a full school life, including after school and extra curricular activities and not to be classed as a 'commuter' child, whose school experience is regulated by a bus timetable.

I fail to see that if the LEA can provide extra classrooms for Acomb, why they can't do the same for us here in Fulford. I find their 'transport' solution unacceptable! It may very well be better than walking but it's no solution.

S Ayres,

Levisham Street,

Fulford Road,

York.

...the children from Fishergate Primary School who have not been able to get a place at either of their local secondary schools deserve better than to be told by Liz Jones that it is 'just a question of demographics'.

The bizarre admissions system under which some children who do not even live in York are guaranteed a place in York schools, but others have to scramble for a place, has resulted in some children being treated as second class citizens.

The idea of parental choice has been shown to be a complete sham.

The local community has been split by the allocation of places: in at least one case, children from opposite sides of the same street will end up at schools literally miles apart with no choice in the matter.

Many children did not get a place at any of their three preferred schools.

Under this baffling admissions system, if the first choice school was full (and there was no way for a parent to know if there would be a space or not) the second preference was ruled out because it was not the first choice!

Silly?

No, it's just a matter of demographics isn't it?

If schools are to sit at the heart of local communities this is surely not the way to achieve it.

Howard Dickenson,

Chair of Governors,

Fishergate Primary School,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.