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Overcrowding in Village Schools
Then in 1968 - Over 50 parents at Great Broughton and Kirby-in-Cleveland have formed themselves into an action group to fight alleged overcrowding in the two village schools.
They are seeking the help of Mr Tim Kitson MP for Richmond, to get the schools placed higher on the North Riding priority replacement list.
Mr Harry Mead, the secretary of the action group, said this week that 50 children were crowding into the tiny village school at Broughton where twenty of them were being taught in an 18ft x 11ft 6ins classroom which is one tenth of the recommended space. Congestion is so great that playtime in the postage stamp sized yard, has to be staggered. There is no piped hot water in the school and toilet and other facilities are described as totally inadequate.
At the junior school at Kirby where 60 children attend, measurements taken by parents show that the classroom is less than half the recommended minimum standard laid down by Ministry regulations.
The population of these two schools has risen by 80% in the past five years and with more development expected in this part of Cleveland more children are expected to attend these schools in the future.
Mr Fred Foster the chairman of the group, said the committee had asked the Chief Education Officer to put their plea for a new school before primary education sub-committee.
Mr Harry Mead said the children had an average space of 8ft, which under the new regulations was the same as the recommended minimum for intensively reared pigs.
A spokesman for the North Riding Education department said they were well aware of the deficiencies at Kirby and Broughton and when submissions are made to the Minister for the 1970/71 building programme, the position at Kirby and Great Broughton will be kept fully in mind.
Now
in 1998 - A new school was built in Kirby Lane in 1974, replacing the
Kirby Boys School (opposite the Black Swan pub) and Broughton Girls
School (next to the village hall.) The new school currently caters for
112 children in the 4 to 11 age group. The head Teacher is Mr David
Scott.
This article originally appeared in the August
1998 issue of Now & Then
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