The future’s bright for Oldham education

WELCOME to Oldham: the inaugural meeting of the Education and Skills Commission gets under way (from left) Sam Jones from Tunafish Media, Munira Mirza, Estelle Morris and council leader Jim McMahon

A GROUP hoping to achieve educational excellence for every child in Oldham has met for the first time.

The Oldham Education and Skills Commission (OESC) is working with education providers, teachers and young people to set out an ambitious shared vision to raise standards and improve future prospects for schoolchildren across the borough .

Council leader Jim McMahon welcomed the chairwoman - former Education Secretary Estelle Morris - and other commissioners including two Oldham-born success stories, Munira Mirza and Sam Jones, as the formal work got underway.

Munira Mirza is a former Breeze Hill School and Oldham Sixth Form College student who is now London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture and Education.

Former Failsworth School pupil Sam Jones set up multi-award winning production and marketing agency Tunafish Media with two university friends in 2011.

Councillor McMahon said: “Estelle Morris’ expertise in this area is nationally recognised and the input of Munira and Sam will be crucial in providing independent and critical eyes.

“We’ve made the commission’s remit very clear. We’re not interested in a report that tells us what we might like to hear.

“This is about a difficult and genuine process of challenge. We need to identify difficulties, hear unpalatables and define exactly what we need to do next.”

The OESC will submit interim findings in January, 2015, before delivering a final report to Councillor McMahon in July.