Crowded classrooms in the news
A report in the Evening News today shows us more of the reality behind the situation at schools like these. It's worth quoting some of the views of parents twhose children attend Sciennes which, like Trinity, is a very good school.
CHILDREN are being taught in corridors, eating lunch in classrooms and taking playtimes in "shifts" at an overcrowded primary which has seen an influx of new pupils this year. A cloakroom has also had to be turned into another teaching area at Sciennes Primary to cope with the extra demand on space caused by the record number of primary-ones going into the school.
The conditions at the school were described as "unacceptable" by one local MSP, while parents said they felt the problems could undermine their children's education.
One parent, whose child started P1 this term, said: "It's still a good school, but this flood of children into P1 is just beyond the pale. The staff are doing all they can, of course, but it is undermining a lot of their good work.
"One of the things that appealed about Sciennes in the first place is that it is obviously a very caring and supportive environment, but this situation is threatening to destroy that whole ethos."
One of the reasons behind this situation came about because of legal challenges from parents who wished their children to go to the school. As a result, rulings forced the city council to increase P1 class sizes to 30, going against its own policy – and national "guidance" – of capping all P1 classes at 25.
It's important to highlight just how much this situation is a parallel for what is proposed at Trinity. Parents complaining of class sizes of 40 at the biggest primary in Edinburgh with 643 children. If the proposal for Fort/Trinity goes ahead we face class sizes of 39 in a school that has always had a capacity of 415 up till now.
Keep writing to your local councillors and those from Leith Ward. Let them know that this proposal makes no sense.