WHEN Tony Blair's government came to power it famously promised that its priorities would be education, education and education.

Ever since we have been told the Government is pumping more money into schools than ever before.

So why is it that 15-year-old David Green, of Chippenham, has not been able to go to school for five months and now faces the prospect of being taxied to Melksham's George Ward School every day?

It seems unbelievable that a town the size of Chippenham cannot accommodate one extra pupil but that is the situation.

Both Hardenhuish and Sheldon Schools say they do not have to take him in and now the youngster, who lives just ten minutes' walk from the schools, faces a 30-minute taxi ride to and from school every day all at the expense of council taxpayers.

What seems equally ridiculous is that the situation has been allowed to continue for so long.

It was only when then Gazette began making inquiries on David's behalf on Tuesday that Wiltshire County Council's education department suddenly found the place in Melksham.

The damage already done to this youngster's education is incalculable.

Missing five months of any school year is bad, but to have no teaching whatsoever in the the middle of a GCSE year, arguably the most important year of any youngster's school career, is unforgivable.