THE PATROL Officers for St Mary’s Primary School in Beaminster look a bit young these days don’t they? That’s because these children no longer have a lollipop lady (as you and I call them). Why? Because when the last lollipop lady resigned, Dorset County Council decided not to replace her.
Much money was spent by the government to encourage us to walk to school. Great. But in these days of cutbacks children need to meet the National Criteria to cross the road to school safely. There is a formula that tells council officers if pupils deserve a safe crossing or not. Council Terms: “the site needs to meet the National Criteria”. St Mary’s is below the required criteria. The numbers don’t add up. Where and how this formula has been devised I do not know but it is very unlikely to have been brainstormed in rural England.
On 2 September 2010, just before 9am, the first day back at school, 36 children under ten years old crossed the road, 14 on their own. In the meanwhile, 162 cars drove along Clay Lane. In case you don’t know Clay Lane, it’s a lane only by name. It is in fact a large B road into Beaminster with a busy shop opposite the school where shoppers are keen to park as close to the door as possible.
What struck me was that the Road Safety Officer at Dorset County Council came on the first day of school to ‘carry out a site survey’ and determine whether there are enough kids crossing the road. Don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t call the first day back at school a typical kind of day, especially for a Primary School. I took my child to school that day. Otherwise I don’t. I wonder if they’ll be waiting for Met Office weather warnings for the next site survey.
Generally speaking, councils aren’t renowned for speedy decisions but on this occasion, they surveyed, wrote a letter to St Mary’s school and took the funding away all on the same day. Good to see efficiency can be achieved.
Let’s talk money now. A lollipop lady’s wage is in the region of £3,200 per year. New council offices cost millions. Where would you rather your local taxes went?
Editor’s Note: A comment will be sought from Dorset County Council.
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But we can afford to pay Councillor for Beaminster, Rebecca Knox, in excess of £9,000 Basic Allowance plus expenses for 2009/2010. Perhaps we will read she is to forego part of her income from we CT payers in order to keep the children she represents safe from any road accident. Anyone care to advise me against holding my breath?
Oh come on Tiger, stop dreaming. Childrens’ safety or councillors’ bunts – no contest. As both the PM and his tame glove puppet keep telling us – “we have to get our priorities right”. Over to the voters of Beaminster.