The move proposed by Bedford County Council to a limited two tier structure looks innocuous. It covers just 21 schools in the Bedford and Kempston area.

It is not yet known whether the rest of the county could follow suit later.

The switch would mean children staying at their lower school for an extra two years, until they are aged 11, and then moving to an upper school. It is possible that some of the middle schools will close.

It may look innocuous, but appearances can be deceptive.

Not all children move between schools in a neat pattern. Parents of children attending lower schools that border the 21 schools affected by this adjustment will have some tough choices to make.

Do they stick with the three tier system that will still exist in the rest of the county?

Do they move their child at 9 years old to a nearby Junior school until they are 11 years old, only to then move again to a secondary?

Or do they abandon the local Lower school and try to get their child into the neighbouring Junior school from the start?

If parents opt to abandon local Lower schools there is a real danger such schools will, in turn, face closure because they will not have enough children to teach.

The County admits that some schools will be surplus to requirements. However, John Goldsmith, head of school strategy at County Hall, says "This will not mean job cuts; we are still going to have the same number of students to teach."

That is disingenuous.

With fewer schools there will be fewer Heads required; fewer site staff, fewer administrative and bursary staff.

If two Lower schools merge into one, larger Junior school there is the potential for bigger classes. Even where pupil-staff ratios are maintained there is scope for more Teaching Assistants and matching teacher redundancies.

The cost savings will be hard to resist.

"We want schools with extensive community facilities, and to move away from classrooms and corridors to lecture theatres, breakout areas, open concourses and courtyards." says John Goldsmith.

I say: not at the expense of future generations.