THE City of York Council has announced plans to merge Carr Infant and Junior schools - the proposal being that the infant school moves into the junior school building. Money to finance this would come from the sale of the infant school site.

I am dismayed by the short sightedness of the local education authority (LEA) and what I regard to be a lack of vision and commitment for the education of children in this part of the city.

The junior school building is not suitable for its present use, let alone expanding to include nursery and infants provision.

Why do the children in this part of York have to accept what I regard as second best? Do they not deserve a purpose-built facility appropriate for education in the 21st century?

Why do they have to give up playing fields and buildings only to be forced into an inferior provision?

It is time the LEA made more of a commitment to developing learning facilities which both the children and the community can truly be proud of. The case for a merger seems to be based on purely economic grounds where the obvious economies of scale would reap financial rewards for the council but would have little or even a negative impact on the education of our children.

Ryan Davies,

Albion Avenue,

Acomb, York.

Updated: 10:35 Monday, July 25, 2005