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Public Petitions Committee, 28 Jun 2005

28 Jun 2005 · S2 · Public Petitions Committee

Item of business

New Petitions

Rural Schools (Closure) (PE872)

Baker, Richard Lab North East Scotland Watch on SPTV

Petition PE872, which seeks a presumption against the closure of rural schools, was lodged as a result of the proposed closure of schools in the north-east. The campaign has won support from parents throughout Scotland who are in similar situations. The petition was lodged by parents whose children attend Arbirlot Primary School in Angus, and I wish specifically to refer to Angus Council's proposal to close that school.As was mentioned when the committee discussed the matter last week, it is right for councils to review and seek to develop and improve their schools' infrastructure and it is right for local decisions to be made that take into account the views of parents and local communities. However, through visiting Arbirlot Primary School and meeting the parents who are here today, I have found that there are still instances in which the appropriate consultation processes are not followed. The school was earmarked for closure after only an informal consultation by the council, which offered no options other than closure. That happened despite the fact that the school's roll can be expected to be maintained, the fact that it received an excellent report from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, the fact that the school has excellent levels of attainment, and the fact that its closure would leave many children with difficult journeys to alternative schools.That, in itself, makes the proposal bewildering, but the position is exacerbated by the fact that, during the process, Executive guidelines were misrepresented. For example, parents have been advised by the local authority that the school has to be closed because it does not meet the requirement for a 100m2 gym, but the Executive has confirmed to me that there is no such requirement. Parents were told by the convener of the council's education committee that it has had dialogue with the Minister for Education and Young People, but the minister has confirmed that no such dialogue has taken place. In addition, parents were told that there was a second report on the status of the school, but that report does not exist. In the overall context of school reorganisation in Angus, the proposal seems bizarre.That might be an extreme example, but we recently learned of a proposal by Moray Council to close a large number of rural schools. Its decision will, of course, have a serious impact on local communities. In speaking to parents today, I once again learned that there are serious concerns about the consultation process. Parents have only two months to respond to the proposal. The council says that schools that operate at only 60 per cent of capacity will be closed, but it is predicting such a level for schools that are currently nearly full. It seems to the parents that Moray Council's decisions are driven by financial, rather than educational, considerations.A sizeable number of rural schools throughout the country are threatened with closure. It is important that proper consideration is given to the matter, particularly as some local authorities are not engaging in proper consultation processes. The successful, sustainable schools that they propose to close are vital parts of our rural communities and we can ill afford to lose them.I know that the committee has discussed the matter before and that, as the convener said, the Executive has issued guidance on the matter. However, given the number of proposed closures and the number of schools that could only reasonably be judged as sustainable, it is worth while to reconsider how we can ensure that the guidance is properly followed so that rural schools that perform their crucial role well can remain open. There is a balance to be struck between ensuring that decisions can be taken locally and ensuring that the Executive has in place the right mechanisms so that the views of staff, parents and pupils are fully and properly taken into account. We need a mechanism that offers protection to successful rural schools so that they can continue to perform their vital role.

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Public Petitions Committee, 28 Jun 2005

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