The Mayor, Councillor Gulam Robbani and Councillor Rabina Khan all attempted at the meeting to move urgent motions on the proposed change of name at the Osmani School.

Following discussion and a brief adjournment, the Council agree to suspend Procedure Rule 13.1 to enable the following urgent motion to be debated without notice: 

13.1    Motion regarding the proposed change of Osmani School name

Mayor John Biggs moved and Councillor Sirajul Islam seconded a procedural motion to enable an urgent motion regarding the proposed change of Osmani School name to be considered.

Following debate the motion was put to the vote and was agreed.

RESOLVED

This Council notes:

1.            The Governors of Osmani School have written to parents stating their intention to change the school’s name to Vallance Primary School with effect from September 2017.

2.            Osmani School recently underwent a positive OFSTED inspection and has been an established community school for over thirty years.

3.            Neither councillors nor the Mayor were consulted on this change in advance.

4.            Changing the name of a school is down to the Governing body and the council has no power to veto over it.

5.            The mayor and numerous councillors of different political groups have already spoken out against the change, expressing their disappointment and concern.

6.            Government education policy means schools increasingly have to compete with one another for pupils and that those who do not get sufficient pupil numbers are at risk of becoming financially unviable.

7.            A number of schools face a challenge filling their nursery rolls in the west of the borough at present.

8.            The name of the school Osmani Primary School is based on M.A.G Osmani who was a well-known Army Officer who fought in World War II for the British Armed forces and is known as Bangabir – Brave Bengali Freedom Fighter.

9.            The school was opened in May 1986 on the site of the former Lord Montefiore Secondary School and Commander Osmani’s name was given to the school to commemorate his contribution in serving in the British Army during World War II and in the liberation of Bangladesh.

10.         General Muhammad Ataul Gani Osmani was born 1^st September 1918 in an affluent family in Dayamir, a village in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Following his graduation in 1938 he began a career in the Civil Service.

11.         There are a number of further protest and community meetings planned and the school’s Governing Body will be meeting again on 24^th January.

This Council believes:

1.            Schools in our community should reflect the vast range of cultures and communities who live locally.

2.            General Osmani’s name is an important symbol for the Bengali community in Tower Hamlets and there are a number of other schools named after notable people with connections to the borough and its residents.

3.            The school’s governing body was wrong not to consult with parents ahead of making their decision.

4.            Whilst government policy changes and changing demographics mean schools need to do more attract pupils the school should rely on its strong OFSTED results to promote itself not abandoning its heritage.

This Council resolves:

1.            To call on the Mayor and other Group leaders to write to the Governors of Osmani school expressing the council’s concern at the renaming of Osmani school.

2.            To call on the school to run a full consultation with parents at the school on the proposed name change.