Building Schools for the Future in Tameside

Citizen Article - Tameside pupils have their say on £100m spending on schools

PR 3462 - 31/10/2005 - For immediate release

Tameside pupils are to have their say on how £100m should be spent on building the schools of the future in the area.

The council has been allocated the money from the national Building Schools for the Future programme. Every high school in Tameside will benefit from the huge cash boost - so the council is carrying out a major consultation exercise to get residents' views on how the money should be invested to improve 21st century learning for all young people aged four to 19.

The council is staging conferences over two days - one for secondary pupils and one for primary pupils - to get their ideas to put in Tameside's education vision, due to be published at the end of December.

"Who better to ask than pupils about how schools of the future should look and what sort of facilities should be available," said Cllr Ged Cooney, Executive Member for Lifelong Services.

The conferences have been designed with help from pupils from Dowson Primary in Hyde and Two Trees Sports College, Denton. They will be held on November 2nd and 3rd at Manchester United Football Club when 160 primary school pupils and 80 secondary pupils will take part in a number of interactive workshops covering health and education, what young people want for the future, Tameside for the future, and schools for the future - when they will be posed the question, "Why do we go to school?".

The pupils will also be able to tour the 'market place', a series of stalls with displays and competitions, and to air their views via a video camera in a media booth. And they will also get the chance to go on the Old Trafford pitch and hopefully meet a United star.

"The views of our young people are vital to our vision," said Cllr Cooney. "After all, they are the ones using the current facilities and are best placed to tell us how things can be improved."

Jim Taylor, Assistant Executive Director, Services for Children and Young People, added: "We want the pupils of today to play their part in creating the schools of the future. We believe these interactive conferences will bring out some innovative ideas that will help revolutionise education in Tameside."

Photo Opportunity

Wednesday November 2nd, 9.30am - 2.30pm, International Suite, Manchester United Football Club, Old Trafford. Pupil consultations for secondary pupils.

Thursday November 3rd, 9.30am - 2.30pm, International Suite, Manchester United Football Club, Old Trafford. Pupil consultations for primary pupils.

• Education minister Ruth Kelly will be at Tameside's Building Schools for the Future launch at Manchester United FC on November 18th. She will speak before taking questions from pupils - for more details contact Janet Crawford 0161 342 3448.

Issued by Janet Crawford 0161 342 3448.