THERE was a first day of term feel to County Hall this week when councillors met to discuss controversial plans to turn Oxford School into an academy.

The move, opposed by many parents, has been driven through to improve standards at the East Oxford secondary school.

But members of the children’s services scrutiny committee have not set a good example when it comes to attendance.

No fewer than six councillors – more than half of those who sit on the committee – were absent.

The no-shows included chairman Ann Bonner and vice chairman Dave Sexon, forcing a unscheduled vote on who should take charge of proceedings.

Replacements included Liz Brighouse, and her mobile phone rang half-way through the debate.

For a committee charged with upholding standards in Oxfordshire schools it was hardly a glowing report.

Perhaps scrutiny, like charity, needs to start at home.

Larry Sanders, right, (a member who had shown up although he is not on the committee) told the meeting: “The education world closes down in the summer as we all know, and is just beginning to show signs of reawakening.”

Unlike County Hall.

County Hall chief Keith Mitchell wants to have his cake and eat it, it would appear. The cash-strapped council is asking residents to help slash £200m for the council’s budget over the next five years.

The authority is so keen to hear taxpayers’ suggestions on what services should be axed it has launched a campaign – The Oxfordshire Big Debate.

Residents can log their ideas online and five special public meetings will be held at venues across the county to ensure everyone gets a say.

But when it comes to letting residents see what their tax money is spent on, Mr Mitchell is less engaging.

He’s unhappy the council has to publish all payments of more than £500 and thinks that threshold should be higher.

His reason? “Armchair auditors” will waste officers’ time asking too many questions.

Are these the same armchair auditors the council is asking to fish it out of the financial drink?

Or is The Big Debate simply a way of covering the council’s collective hide?

The Beckley mast that has been causing TV trouble for thousands of viewers is on schedule to be fixed this month, engineers assure us.

And none will be more relieved than Minister for Culture and Wantage MP Ed Vaizey Not because he is now the minister responsible for the digital switchover, which kicked off the sorry eight- month saga.

Or even because the intermittent signal has affected parts of his constituency.

No, he’ll be relieved because he is a bit of a telly addict.

The Tory MP is a big X-Factor fan and has been glued to his screen for the new series. And this week he was full of praise for the Channel Four documentary Inside Incredible Athletes, the story of how the paralympic elite achieve success.

It is not known if his TV has been affected by the dodgy signal, or if he has Sky.