'Inferior' Computer System Sparks School Row
June 16th, 2008
A New Waltham school has threatened to walk away from £13,9-million of funding.
Tollbar Business and Enterprise College is refusing to sign up for the Building Schools For The Future (BSF) grant if it is forced to install what they see as an "inferior" and "costly" centrally-managed IT system.
As reported, Tollbar had been earmarked as the first school to be remodelled, but following the row, it has been mutually agreed the Humberston campus will now be the first.
Work on the campus, which will house Humberston School and Humberston Park School, had not been due to start until 2012, but could now begin as soon as 2010.
If Tollbar's governing board does not sign up to BSF before September 16, it is believed it would also be the first school in the country to turn down BSF funding.
This would make it the only secondary school in the borough not to be refurbished or rebuilt under the £107-million scheme.
Principal David Hampson confirmed they would take this drastic step if it received no written confirmation before then that it will not have to switch to a centrally- managed IT system.
He said: "Of course this money would be a fantastic boost to Tollbar, as it would be to many other schools in Grimsby.
"However, our main priority has always been to improve standards for our students and, if necessary, we will continue to do this in the existing buildings rather than sign up to an IT system which we consider would inhibit the progress of IT at Tollbar.
"We will not take what we consider to be a major step backwards in educational provision, even if it means that inevitably we are forced to turn down this funding.
"We have been told verbally on a number of occasions that we may be able to continue with our existing IT system, without paying for a costly central agency, but no one is prepared to put that in writing."
The £13.9-million grant, if it went ahead, would be used to rebuild the existing technology and art blocks and replace mobile classrooms with permanent buildings.
Article from the Grimsby Telegraph 13 June 2008
