Battles rage against cuts to deaf kids services

A tale of two cities this week as the fightback against cuts in services for deaf children builds up steam.

Stoke

NDCS campaigners in Stoke have forced the council to review their decision to cut services for deaf children after they forced a judicial review which halted any cuts anyway until the case could be heard in the High Court.  Councillor Debra Gratton, cabinet member for children's services, said the decision supported by full council to reduce spending on services for deaf children had been "very difficult" to make.

"But the welfare and education of all the city's children is, and always will be, very important.
"We have listened to the arguments made by the National Deaf Children's Society, and we have listened to parents, children and teachers.
"In light of this, it has been agreed that the original decisions be reviewed, following proper and meaningful consultation, to help us to continue to provide the best level of services for city children."

Protests in Stoke

The council also cried foul over the potential costs of the court case which the council claim is a waste of tax payers money. Funny that the same argument wasn't made when they increased the pay of their Chief Executive by £50,000 to £195,000 (a 34% increase) at the height of the recession in 2010. See the BBC Story here.
No wonder parents in Stoke are angry..


Southampton
Ahead of  the council's meeting this week where cuts to services for deaf children will be discussed, hundred of parents have signed a petition asking for the reinstatement of a part-time teacher of the deaf. NDCS already say that Southampton has the worst level of school back-up for deaf children in the entire country but, apparently not content with that, Southampton council could make it even worse.

Tracey Pettit, whose nine-year-old son William is deaf, said: 

"We are overwhelmed at the level of support that residents of Southampton have given our petition to save services for deaf children.
"It shows how much everyone cares about the right of deaf children to thrive in school and beyond."

Again, BBC takes it up..

PDDCS sends its good wishes to Stoke and Southampton..