Posted on 06/29/2004 1:28:26 AM PDT by BritishBulldog
NO NURSERY FOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING BABY Jun 29 2004
By Richard Smith
A BOY of three had a full-time nursery place taken away partly because he speaks English and has a garden, says his mum.
Christopher Townsend was due to start in September but he no longer qualifies for a place under the council-run school's new admissions policy.
Mum Nicki, 39, said yesterday: "I was told he did not fit the criteria as he had English as his first language and that he came from a home with a garden."
Nicki, an occupational therapist, has lived in the catchment area for the nursery in Bristol for five years.
She said: "It is unfair that children who have lived here all their life are being penalised."
Christopher was originally offered a free full-time place at St Werburgh's Park nursery.
But the school is fast-tracking children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Children of asylum seekers, travellers and refugees, also fall into the criteria for priority admission.
Acting head Liz Jenkins said yesterday: "The policy does include factors like not having a garden and having English as an additional language but they are not the sole criteria."
Christopher was offered a part-time place at the nursery, which caters for 114, but his mum refused it.
Bristol City Council said the decision was "not for the Local Education Authority" but local councillor Albert Murphy said: "I find it disgusting."
The relity of life in Blairs Britain - A national disgrace
Serves him right. Speaks English! Has a garden! I suppose his parents have jobs too! The nerve!
It's much the same here. Bush is supposed to be a conservative, and look at the weird liberal-socialist things he's pulled as our President.
Welcome to Free Republic, BTW.
Good thing you don't speak English. Otherwise, you'll be part of the group that actually receives a benefit from the taxes you pay :-)
Cultural and racial suicide. What a perplexing phenomenon.
I wish I were reading about it in a textbook instead of living through it.
Thank GOD!!!!! Stupidity runs rampant in places other than just America!!!
Note: Garden = yard in American
"British News: £ year old denied nursery place"
I can't even remember when I was £ years old.
Oh, my gosh. I thought this sort of thing only happened over here.
It's still very young, even at the present conversion rate.
What this kid was seeking is was a " free full-time place" in the nursery school. That's a polite way of saying "welfare daycare".
It's not particularly surprising that welfare benefits would be denied someone with a large enough home to have a yard, or not meeting other metrics of social disadvantage like native English speaking.
The better question is why those kind of fat welfare benefits are available at all...
I've heard it said that trends in the U.S. lag developments in Britain by about 20 years. If so, we have a sad future in store...
Reminds me of the calls for free college tuition for all ILLEGAL aliens from Mexico in the USA. I told my kids they should move to Mexico, denounce US citizenship, then come back to US as ILLEGALS and go to college for FREE. </sarcasm>
Well, um....I have quite a number of cousins living in Bristol. I would NEVER accuse ANY of them has having English as their first language. They keep muttering unitelligible words, peppered with the phrase 'allwight my lover' . ;-)
What????
The little tot shouldn't feel so bad. I got turned away for free job training because I was 'made too much money' and had a 'college education'.
It's not right but it could be a blessing too. I would not want any child of mine in a government institution with this kind of policy. Put him in private school if staying home with him not an option.
The closest thing I can think of is some Clearys who live over in Long Island.
Of course, the distinguished British gentleman aspect of my grandfather's side of the family was somehow lost in the cross-Atlantic voyage.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.