Education, education, education

It's heartwarming to see that the British National Party has acquired an interest in the education of Barking and Dagenham's youngsters.

Recent party leaflets have decried a fall in educational standards in the borough - despite the fact that the borough's schools have just achieved the best exam results on record and that Barking and Dagenham schools are the recipients of some £270 million of government money to make them first class schools.

But hey - give credit where credit's due - the BNP are have expressed an interest in the future of our young folk - so it's good to see that even they are expressing some interest in the education of the Borough's youngsters even if its illinformed, inaccurate and distorted through the prism of far right politics.

But just how far does the BNP's interest in the educational wellbeing of the borough's youngsters extend?

Just how many BNP councillors - out of their twelve strong group on the council - are school governors - like their Labour counterparts?

Answer: None.

Not one BNP councillor is a school governor. Go to the bottom of the class Mr Bailey and Mr Barnbrook.

Putting aside whether any borough school would want a BNP supporting governor for one moment - it undermines somewhat the BNP's professed interest in all things education, does it not? That not a single BNP councillor has hands on experience of helping local schools to build for the future.

With some BNP councillors, it's easy to see that they might not want to get involved with schools in their community - after all they do next to no case work on other issues - so why should education be any different. Step forward the Doncasters......

Maybe this also explains why the BNP group's alternative budget had nothing to say about education or the schooling of the borough's young people.

The BNP like to talk about the issues that matter to local people - in their leaflets and on the doorstep - but when it comes down to it - actually involving themselves in the day to day running of the schools and investment in the borough's educational establishments, they are nowhere to be seen...

Speaks volumes about their real commitment to the community doesn't it?