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ANN Hartley, Shropshire County Council's cabinet member for children's services, writes on Friday, November 9: "I have been determined from the start to put the education of Shropshire's children first."

We have just received a letter from the council fobbing us off, stating that "until the cabinet has made a decision on how to proceed we cannot work out the effects of any proposed policy changes across our 141 primary schools".

So they are going to make a decision without thinking of the consequences? Unbelievable. The consequence of closing two or three class primary schools is very clear. It will devastate villages.

Does this mean village children do not matter within the Every Child Matters agenda?

It will mean no parental choice to send children to a nearby Church of England school. What distance is being put on this in the policy already worked out by the county council?

We moved to Lydbury North from Bridgnorth town because of the school, church and shop. Take the school away and the village becomes unsustainable. Is that the intention of a policy set to ruin village life as opposed to the town?

It is clear for all to see that Ann Hartley does not put Shropshire's children first.

Ian Kidd, The Old Blacksmiths, Lydbury North.

3:02pm Thursday 22nd November 2007

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