Keep the school gate open :

YOUR local school will stay open for the whole community after the school day comes to an end if Welsh Labour wins on May 3rd.

By 2011 Labour wants all maintained schools in Bridgend to stay open for childcare, sport, fitness or academic pursuits for our youngsters, adults and the elderly. This will keep our kids off the streets and give us all more time and space to get fit, stay active and meet together.

If we only keep schools open during the day - we're under-using a great community resource, Labour wants to reverse this.

Labour wants to see schools full of evening classes for adults, ante-natal classes, aerobics, fitness lessons and weight watchers all year round - and the sports pitches opened up to local youngsters so young and old can get on their way to a healthier and more active lifestyle.

The extra time and space we could give community support groups would be invaluable to the most vulnerable groups in Bridgend - like disability groups and children with special needs.

Schools will stay in control of any local plans by drawing up their own policies and local education authorities will receive extra funding to appoint Community School Managers.

All the evidence shows that if schools open up to the local community, they perform better, stand to gain more resources that benefit pupils and actually suffer from less arson and vandalism. At the same time, keeping young people busy is shown to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour, under-age drinking and petty crime.

Labour's answer to the need for safer stronger communities is to give the whole community the resources to meet together and use the resources right on their doorstep.

A community school would be a healthier, safer, stronger and better school and will build an even healthier, safer, stronger, better Bridgend.