Several Okehampton councillors spoke out this week against the Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust’s (DMAT) ‘deplorable’ proposal to cut school support staff across the trust’s schools.

At a meeting this week (April 24), individual Okehampton town councillors described the proposal as ‘dreadful’ and ‘deplorable’.

But, despite a request from a member of the public, the town council will not release an official response to the proposal arging that because the council has no say in DMAT decisions it is therefore not a council matter.

However, councillors agreed that even though the council would not release an official statement, it would do so if DMAT held a public consultation on the proposal.

Speaking as an individual, Cllr Michael Ireland compared today’s class sizes as similar to that of the 1950s and 60s when class teachers were often responsible for up to 40 children.

He added that changes in the education system meant that it was no longer possible to expect one teacher to supervise so many children.

DMAT’s suggestion to cut the number of teaching assistants working in DMAT-run schools by nearly two-thirds could mean that one teacher would be solely responsible for a similar number of children.

Meanwhile, former teacher Cllr Jan Goffey described her personal experiences of her career when there were far fewer layers of management.

She described it as ‘deplorable that [DMAT was] intending to cut the number of staff working face to face’ with children, while considering increasing the number of management staff.

The discussion came after the town council received a letter on the matter, in which a concerned parent wrote: ‘This is an utterly absurd proposal in times where parents are struggling to provide for their families and schools are more heavily relied on than ever.

‘I cannot begin to conceive how the Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust believes that this is in the best interests of any community or the children that they are obligated to serve.

‘This is unjust, corrupt and verging on an abuse of the governing system at the detriment of the children.

In March, a leaked document seen by the Times revealed that DMAT was considering a staffing restructure in its schools which could see mass redundancies and the number of teaching assistants and higher level teaching assistants employed by the trust reduced by nearly two-thirds.

The proposed restructure could also see a range of other controversial changes including limiting teaching assistants to Reception and Key Stage 1 classes and a reduction in the number of teaching staff by 0.27 full time equivalent. However, the proposed restructuring would also see an increase in primary school leadership capacity and an increase in SENDCO (special educational needs and disabilities coordinator) provisions and the introduction of a health and safety lead. The proposed changes have outraged many residents in Okehampton and the surrounding towns and there is now an online campaign against the proposed changes. Mayor of Okehampton Bob Tolley has signed the online petition in a personal capacity.

To sign the petition visit https://www.change.org/p/save-our-schools-58dd43d8-a96c-46dd-9463-f6daa8565d72?source_location=search