Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Bill, passed by Parliament
20/11/09 18:44
The Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Bill, passed by Parliament last week provides a new, robust, framework for consultation on proposed school closures. Under this bill, education will be at the centre of consultations on changes to schools, with an educational benefit statement and report from HMIE required in every case.
We have continually argued that the needs of the children from Fort and Trinity have not been placed at the heart of this proposal and asked why HMIE have not been consulted on the proposal. The council had promised to follow the consultation requirements of the new Bill “as closely as the current legislation allows”.
Instead, they have failed to involve HMIE; they have failed to consult staff, children and prospective parents. As we saw at the public meeting, they have failed to provide any sort of detailed response to the question of how they will ensure the children continue to receive as good an education despite huge increases in class sizes, loss of facilities, break-up of composite classes and (in the case of the Fort children) loss of teaching staff.
They also increased the school’s notional capacity to 456 from its original design capacity of 415 without telling the parents or school, and moved our head to Fort while the consultation was still ongoing.
With less than a month do go till the vote on the closure proposal, this is the time to write to our four local councillors and remind them how strongly we oppose this proposal. Please email or write to Steve Cardownie, Cammy Day, Allan Jackson and Elaine Morris - ask them how they intend to vote on this proposal and make it clear that you want them to vote against the closure of Fort as your elected representative.
Remind them that:
You can read more of the background detail behind these points in our detailed submission to the council.
We have continually argued that the needs of the children from Fort and Trinity have not been placed at the heart of this proposal and asked why HMIE have not been consulted on the proposal. The council had promised to follow the consultation requirements of the new Bill “as closely as the current legislation allows”.
Instead, they have failed to involve HMIE; they have failed to consult staff, children and prospective parents. As we saw at the public meeting, they have failed to provide any sort of detailed response to the question of how they will ensure the children continue to receive as good an education despite huge increases in class sizes, loss of facilities, break-up of composite classes and (in the case of the Fort children) loss of teaching staff.
They also increased the school’s notional capacity to 456 from its original design capacity of 415 without telling the parents or school, and moved our head to Fort while the consultation was still ongoing.
With less than a month do go till the vote on the closure proposal, this is the time to write to our four local councillors and remind them how strongly we oppose this proposal. Please email or write to Steve Cardownie, Cammy Day, Allan Jackson and Elaine Morris - ask them how they intend to vote on this proposal and make it clear that you want them to vote against the closure of Fort as your elected representative.
Remind them that:
- Financially, the Closure Proposal is an extremely weak case.
- The Closure Proposal is only a temporary one, and not a cost-effective long term solution.
- The merger is not in the best interests, educationally and socially, of the pupils and community at Fort or Trinity.
- If this goes ahead there will only be around 20 spaces available in an area where the Council predicts 150 spaces will be required in the very near future.
- There is an alternative! The proposal to retain Fort removes surplus spaces from this area, generates capital savings but retains the capacity that the council anticipates will be required in this area.
You can read more of the background detail behind these points in our detailed submission to the council.