A CAMPAIGN to get a better deal for Basingstoke schools got under way last Saturday, with the launch of a petition calling for more investment.

Paul Harvey, Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for the Basingstoke seat, has taken up the baton for local schools after the state of education in the town was thrust back into the spotlight by a departing headteacher.

Last month, Andy Kilpatrick - who has just left his post as headteacher at Brighton Hill Community College for a new headship at an under-achieving school in London - told The Gazette he believes that Hampshire's local education authority needs to "grasp the nettle" and sort out schooling in Basingstoke.

Mr Kilpatrick, who spent 10 years at Brighton Hill, called on the LEA to overhaul education in the borough in light of a big surplus of pupil places in secondary schools - between 1,500 and 2,000.

Mr Kilpatrick believes the LEA needs to consider the possibility of closing schools as part of a wider strategic plan for delivering education in the town.

Mr Harvey, who is also a borough councillor and the Cabinet portfolio holder for employment, skills and learning, has defended the town's schools and says they need support rather than condemnation.

He is now asking for the public to throw their support behind the schools by signing a petition that he will present to Hampshire County Council.

Mr Harvey said: "The idea is that the local schools in Basingstoke deserve a tremendous amount of support for the work they are doing to improve standards and achievement.

"The petition calls for the hard work of teachers and schools to be complemented with the right resources and funding."

Cllr Harvey said that local schools are an integral part of local life and should be treated as important community facilities.

He added: "You look at local schools and they are real hearts of the community, so when you close one, you're ripping the heart out of that community.

"It's good for the county council's finances, but what about the local community?"

The petition garnered strong support from local people at the Top of the Town and Cllr Harvey said it was no surprise.

He said: "Parents want the best for their children and you don't get that by closing schools. I have had a lot of people come up to me and tell me that their school is doing well and they are genuinely worried about the threat of closure. What we want is to see the LEA invest in and improve, all the schools in Basingstoke."

Cllr Harvey believes that the surplus places will be filled by growth in the town.

However, in his interview with The Gazette, Mr Kilpatrick warned that there was no guarantee that new students would take up the slack.

Mr Kilpatrick said: "I have every sympathy with the LEA, as it obviously doesn't want to close schools and then reopen them if the population grows. But the number of surplus places was bad when I got here, and it's worse now.

"It is time, in my opinion, that the nettle was grasped and something was done to sort Basingstoke out."

Do you have a view on education in Basingstoke? Write to The Letters Editor, Gazette Newspapers, Gazette House, Pelton Road, Basingstoke, RG21 6YD or e-mail editor@basingstokegazette.co.uk