TEACHERS and pupils in Bridgwater are immensely proud of their schools, writes Mercury News Editor Matthew Colledge.

But if you were to ask a pupil or teacher at any of the six Building Schools for the Future schools what they would like to say to Education Secretary Michael Gove, who pulled the plug on the BSF project last week, it would be this: “Come to Bridgwater and tell us we don't need a new school.”

Over the last few days, I have spoken to dozens of students and all the head teachers at Bridgwater's six BSF schools, and the message couldn't be clearer: “We love our schools but they're just not fit for purpose”.

Whether you go to Haygrove, where music students are crammed like sardines into tiny rooms in pre-fabricated buildings; or Penrose, which takes students from ages three to 18, but where the sinks are so low they are clearly meant only for infants; or East Bridgwater, where the changing rooms look better suited to storing nuclear waste then PE students, the picture is the same.

Bridgwater's Conservative MP Ian Liddell-Grainger has threatened to march on Downing Street in protest at the decision by his own party.

That shows that Building Schools for the Future is an issue that goes beyond politics.

If all six new school schemes are scrapped, it would be a tragedy, but if only half go ahead, would that really be any better?

We do not want a town divided; all along this scheme has been about transforming learning for all students in Bridgwater, not just some.

The students themselves have had a massive input, meeting architects and artists, and helping to design their new schools.

And the work was nearly done; the £100million contract with developers BAM PPP was due to be signed last Wednesday, two days after Michael Gove's announcement in Parliament.

We must fight to make sure that work does not go to waste.