Nursery kept open

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Determined action by supporters of the Oxford City Nursery Campaign this week reprieved a nursery class from closure at the eleventh hour.

Part of the vicious cuts planned by the Tory County Council has been plans to cut 80 nursery places-saving £20,000.

Where exactly the axe was to fall was to be decided by a secret delegated powers-by the Couricil earlier this year in order to rationalise the whole Oxford school system.

In spite of surveys carried out by the Nursery Campaign which provided ample evidence of the need for nursery places in the area, tumours soon abounded that the nursery class in the South Oxford Middle School was to be closed on July 15.

The two Labour Councillors sitting on the working party, Tony Williamson and Olive Gibbs, would not supply information, saying they were bound by confidentiality.

The parents of the children affected-18 four-year-oldsdecided to march to the council offices on July 12 and demand to -tot Tory leader Streatfield substance.

They were informed that the offices were awaiting a letter from the DES on the legality of the closure.

Since nursery education is covered by the 1944 Education Act statutory closure notices are not necessary but the case is less clear where the nursery is part of a normal school. the Council for the disruption of the lives of the children and their parents-many workers would have had to give up their jobs and stay at home with the children againincensed the parents.

They proceeded to make plans to occupy the nursery on the Friday afternoon at the end of term should closure be announced.

The City Nursery Campaign was mobilised behind these plans and many parent groups thrown up in support of the recent teachers' strike also pledged their support.

On the morning of Friday 15, parents and supporters lobbied the working party meeting and were met by the extreme right Tory Councillor Brigadier Streatfield and Mrs. Barlow.

The Tories were left in no doubt about the determination to defend nursery education and the disgust at the cynical disregard for the education needs of pre-school children.

Streatfield announced his intention to close down all nursery schools since he "does not believe children should be in school until the age of five"

However, the success of this lobby was announced later when the nursery open for another term and to issue a closure notice i rhich can now be fought through p ublic procedures.

The Nursery Campaign not only won a term's reprieve for the class but delivered a significant blow against the Tories' secret committee.

INCLUDED

A further step forward came when the National Union of Teachers Divisional Committee voted on Monday-by a narrow margin and against the views of the officers-to include nursery defence in their current dispute.

The effect of this however was no more than a promise from the union official of legal advice to the Nursery Campaign and assistance in writing a "strong" letter to Shirley Williams!

The latest plans for action in the county by the NUT are for a half-day strike on September 5, followed by protracted strikes in certain areas of the county.

There are still no plans to extend strike action throughout the whole county.

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1977 WAGE DEMANDS SO LONG JACKTIME FOR STEEL TO DO THE DONKEY-WORK, the new situation.

The central question now confronting the working class is that of leadership.

The efforts of union leaders, 'left' talkers and Stalinists will be to divert the spontaneous militancy and strength of the working class and to preserve the coalition government.

Against this perspective we advance a clear programme to direct the mass movement towards the most central political