School closures considered as part of education estate shake-up

Reino Unido / 26 de agosto de 2017 / Por: Jamie Buchan / Fuente: https://www.thecourier.co.uk

Council bosses are considering closing ageing, under-capacity schools as part of a radical shake-up of education services across Perth and Kinross.

The local authority has revealed its options for 10 older primaries in the biggest estates review for a generation.

Now parents are being urged to make their voices heard when a public consultation gets under way next week.

A study was launched last summer and looked at conditions of school buildings, pupil numbers and occupancy rates.

Primaries in the first phase of the review are Abernyte, Balhousie, Blairingone, Braco and Greenloaning, Forteviot, Logiealmond, Methven, North Muirton and St Ninian’s.

The first of a series of drop-in events will be held at St Ninian’s, Dunkeld Road, on Wednesday.

The school is only at a third of its 150-capacity.

Options include keeping the primary open, but removing its religious status and creating a new non-denominational catchment.

The local authority is also considering retaining the school and using vacant rooms for other council services. For example, the building could host Gaelic language classes for pupils throughout the city.

Another of the four proposed options is to close the school and send pupils elsewhere.

The parent council hope that the local authority go with option one — “do nothing”.

A spokeswoman said: “The parent council feels that this option is highly likely to be the outcome if all parents attend to give their views at the drop-in meeting.

“If parents confirm to Perth and Kinross Council that they are happy with their children’s educational attainments, this will be a strong argument for doing nothing given that educational attainment is one of the council’s highest priorities.”

She said that a survey carried out in June showed that all parents enjoyed that the school was small and had a “supportive nurturing atmosphere.”

The parent council’s spokeswoman said that closing the school was “extremely unlikely.”

She said: “This plan involves sending children to other catchment schools, but many of these schools are themselves being reviewed and area in a far worse-off position than St Ninian’s due to the condition of the building, or a lack of staff.”

Other options being considered by education bosses include the closure of Balhousie Primary and moving its pupils to a new build unit at North Muirton School.

Another suggestion is to keep Balhousie open and refurbish it.

A meeting to discuss the future of Braco and Greenloaning primaries will be held on September 12.

Options which will be considered include continuing to mothball Greenloaning — or shut it down completely — and keep pupils at Braco.

Re-opening Greenloaning and splitting lessons between the two schools is another proposal, while bosses are also considering a review of the catchment area.

Options for other schools on the list are expected to be revealed in the coming days.

Perth and Kinross Council has stressed that no decisions have been taken.

Fuente noticia: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/perth-kinross/497896/school-closures-considered-as-part-of-education-estate-shake-up/