THE performance of Suffolk’s schools has led to a councillor calling for the county’s education boss to “fall on his sword”.

The comments from Mark Ereira-Guyer come after Suffolk County Council chief executive Deborah Cadman told a high-level gathering of education professionals in London that the region’s current standing near the foot of Key Stage Two league tables was “not good enough.”

In an open letter to the chief executive, Mr Ereira-Guyer, who represents Tower district in Bury St Edmunds, called for cabinet members to take responsibility.

He added: “So who is to blame for such appalling mismanagement to bring us down to this pitiful level of performance? Many would contend that it results from 10 years of consistent and monumental ineptitude/incompetence, from not listening to schools, parents, pupils – everyone in fact who has been asking that the county desist from its ill-conceived and drawn out destruction of the three-tier system with spurious ‘evidence’; and failure to secure the resources.

“Will the cabinet member ever take some responsibility and fall on his sword?”

Mr Ereira-Guyer, a Green Party councillor, said he felt he had to make the point on behalf of residents, governors and parents who have approached him with their concerns.

However, Conservative councillor Graham Newman, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for education and young people, said: “What Suffolk needs is strong and determined political and professional leadership to improve educational attainment in our schools.

“We are providing that leadership. In areas which have already gone through reorganisation, schools have produced significant improvements at Key Stage Two.

“The county council has supported schools going through this change process, ensuring standards do not drop.

“The outcomes of our Raising the Bar inquiry will add further drive to this key political priority and I will do everything in my power to ensure improvements are made.

“Cheap political point-scoring on what is a serious political issue achieves nothing in the drive to improve educational attainment in Suffolk.”