Stoke-on-Trent's lollipop men and women: Cutting our jobs will put children in danger
SCHOOL crossing patrol wardens are demanding that their jobs are safeguarded in the face of city council cuts.
They are among 35 lollipop men and women who face losing their jobs because they patrol on a pelican, puffin or zebra crossing across Stoke-on-Trent.
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CUTS: Lollipop man Peter Chadwick has accused Stoke-on-Trent City Council of creating a 'very dangerous situation'.
The Sentinel has surveyed the affected 35 wardens who patrol on crossings outside or near 29 schools.
Twenty-six wardens have spoken to Sentinel reporters to hit out at the planned cuts – with some of the other schools already left without a warden or with wardens on the verge of retirement.
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Now headteachers, parents and pupils have pledged to support the wardens who face being cut to help save Stoke-on-Trent City Council £101,000 a year.
In total, 43 lollipop crossing wardens are under threat at 37 schools as part of the council's £21.1 million cuts programme for 2013/14.
In addition to the 35 wardens operating on crossings, eight schools have lollipop men or women despite not even meeting national criteria for the service.
Newstead Primary School headteacher Helen Stocking, whose school is set to lose lollipop lady Wendy Booth, because it fails the national criteria test, said: "Ideally, every primary school should have a crossing patrol service."
School crossing patrol wardens whose jobs are safe are also backing their colleagues. Joan Clarkson, aged 47, of London Road, Boothen, who helps pupils at St Joseph's College, in Trent Vale, said: "Although this crossing has not been put under consultation, I do feel for the others. A lot of them have been doing the job for many years and it is an important job.
"If we all stood together and arranged some kind of petition or protest it might make a difference."
Mother-of-two Lisa Preece, aged 41, of Trent Vale, who operates a crossing patrol in Rookery Lane, Oakhill, added: "No job is safe and you just don't know when the council could tell you it is your job next.
"I would support a petition because it is my job and we need to save these positions. It would be a show of solidarity."
Schools facing the cuts have been told they must pay for the wardens themselves if they want to keep them. The wardens would lose their jobs this summer.
A further 36 school crossing patrols are not being reviewed.
City councillor Alan Dutton, cabinet member for education, below, said: "Crossing patrols are under review because they are non-statutory positions. Only sites where traffic conditions do not merit a warden, or those with a permanent pedestrian crossing, are being considered.
"We will consider all responses received from schools and the public and schools will be given the option to pay for wardens on these sites from their own budgets.
"Sites which meet the criteria, but do not have a permanent crossing, will remain."
Comments
by snowyboy
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 7:39AM
“This council should be ashamed of themselves. Putting lives at risk so they can save some money to go towards their nice new civic centre in Hanley just so they can be near all the best shops and restaurants for their lunch breaks and their evening shopping. I believe thats the main reason they want to move.”
by coopderoop
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 6:16PM
“Why not get rid of them all? Along with the rest of the libraries, swimming pools and community centres? They are all unnecessary after all. Let's spend the money instead on a superfluous monstrosity in Hanley on Trent, which, judging by the artist's immpressions, has been designed by a team of year five primary school pupils as part of a competition. And then we could sell the "old" civic centre. For a pound.
You couldn't make it up.”
by mommanoesbest
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 4:25PM
“I don't see what all the fuss is about. The posts are only needed for 2 hours a day during term time excluding teacher training days. Either primary schools should fund this themselves, or the parents should donate pence to fund it.”