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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)

Johnstone, Alex Con North East Scotland Watch on SPTV

What he said. I agree with everything that Richard Baker has just said, but I will add a couple of comments of my own.I, too, have had the opportunity to speak to the parents at Arbirlot Primary School, and this morning I had a long discussion with parents of children who attend Rothiemay Primary School and other schools that are affected in the Moray area. The common theme that runs through the proposals to close those schools and other schools in rural Scotland is that there appears to be an inexorable pressure towards the closure not only of the tiny rural schools that which were of concern six years ago when the Parliament came into being but of rural schools whose rolls are in the region of 60 to 70. In my view, a school with a roll of that size is a healthy rural school that should not be threatened with closure.The reasons that are given for considering closing schools often include their physical condition, the fact that they have composite classes and the fact that there is—apparently—some higher standard of education that we hope to achieve in the 21st century. However, the schools invariably have excellent performance records. Despite the fact that they are small and have composite classes, they often produce the best school records.We are talking not only about education and the quality of education—many communities that are threatened with the loss of their school depend for their social and economic existence on having, among other things, a school at their heart. Seeking an example of a community that has been strengthened as a result of having its school closed would be an interesting exercise. I do not think that we would find many communities that had been strengthened by that.Some consultation documents have suggested that population decline is a reason for school closures, but I suggest that school closures are a reason for population decline in most of rural Scotland. The issue therefore goes further than education.I would like the committee to recommend that the subject should be on the agenda not only of the Education Committee but of the Environment and Rural Development Committee, which may be able to consider in its current rural development inquiry or in the near future how the closure of schools can have a direct impact on communities in rural areas.The nature of the consultation processes that are taking place is an additional concern. I have been party to a number of the consultations and have not been satisfied with any of them. The consultation processes are too often faits accomplis. We must ensure that councils and councillors can become actively involved in real consultation that results in practical decision making.

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Public Petitions Committee, 28 Jun 2005

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