Bottom of the class, Time to improve

Frieda Warman-Brown has landed a new college in deep trouble thanks to her vain attempt to keep a damning letter secret.

The letter, from Brighton and Hove education director David Hawker, outlined concerns about the behaviour of pupils, truancy, high exclusion rates and low staff morale at East Brighton College of Media Arts.

Yet it was suppressed by principal Tony Garwood and Coun Warman-Brown. Now we know what was in the letter, he has announced he's going and she has quit the governors.

Of course, they are giving other reasons. But if they had only been up front at the time, all this need never have happened.

Parents had every right to know what Mr Hawker felt about the school, although it made unpalatable reading. Even now, its full contents have not been released.

Yet Coun Warman-Brown, who is also the cabinet councillor in charge of education, did not feel parents, children or teachers should know about it. What else has she hidden from us?

When it was launched, the college looked like a bold attempt to deal with problems that had dogged the school when it was Stanley Deason and later Marina High School. Yet the resignation of Mr Garwood, following closely behind that of two other so-called superheads, throws doubt on the Government's Fresh Start programme to revive failing schools.

His departure and the suppression of the letter will have made many people lose confidence in Coun Warman-Brown as well. Having departed from the governors, she should also quit as education boss and let the council make its own fresh start.

In future, if councillors or heads have doubts about the performance of this school or any other, they must let the people concerned know the truth. This bid to hide details that were certain to be revealed eventually has rebounded on Mr Garwood and Coun Warman-Brown badly.

The fiasco has also left the new college in a dire state and could mean its very future is in doubt.

Time to improve

Connex SouthCentral has been criticised by rail bosses for its poor performance during the winter. Its punctuality record was a disgrace.Yet that same company is bidding for an extended franchise to run services on most lines in Sussex.

Its excuse that trains are running on Victorian rail lines is not good enough. If Connex is to continue, it must operate under a tough regime that imposes substantial penalties for poor timekeeping.

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