For the city council has taken the unprecedented step to disband the board of governors at a failing secondary school and appoint an interim group to oversee the management of the school as it struggles to get back on the right educational track.

This lesson in accountability comes as the new Lib Dem administration begins to flex its town hall muscles in coming to grips with one of the toughest challenges they inherited from the previous Labour council - an education system which is languishing close to the bottom of national league tables.

Inspectors at Handsworth Grange School suggested that its previous board of governors actually obstructed developments rather than enhance them, a situation which no council can allow to continue.

We trust that this action will alert every school governor across the city to his or her responsibilities, which is to ensure that every pupil makes the most of the opportunities offered by their time at school.


Give Attercliffe a bit of attention

BUSINESSMAN David Slater has a big job on his hands - but it is a task which is so important that he must not fail.

The self-appointed champion of Attercliffe has thrown down the gauntlet to the council to spend as much attention on the run-down district as is being invested in the city centre.

And you can't argue with the man's logic. He says, rightly, that much time has been spent building up creative and digital industries in the city centre while the traditional powerhouse of Sheffield - Attercliffe - has been left to become run-down and neglected.

At a time when we ought to be doing all we can to ensure the local economy bucks national, and international, trends more attention must be paid to this key area.

And he points councillors in the right direction by suggesting a start would be by giving the streets a sweep.