trowie246 Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 And another point since I am on a mini-rant - the Future Pupil and Population projections which is on P.7 of the Blueprint Consultation plan is a lie. Shetland is not experiencing a declining birthrate. Since 2002 there has actually been an increase of 21%. The figures I have found are 209 births in 2002, 244 in 2007 and 278 in 2008. I haven't found any data about school rolls other than the rubbish that comes from the education department ( they have never got Cullivoes school roll correct yet) but it doesn't take a mathematician to work out that children born in Shetland need to go to school. So from my figures we actually have an increasing school roll here in Shetland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soljey Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 Must admit I'm astounded that something as Shetland-wide as the Blueprint for Education, something whihc will affect every part of Shetland, whether you have children at school or not, is provoking so little comment on this forum. In fact it seems less important than "pies". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sangha Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 I think people are still reeling from the amount of Schools that have been mentioned today in the Times. My child attends one of the Schools mentioned. I'm a member of the Parent Council and have yet again been lied to by the SIC Schools Department. We have been told for a long time now that although changes were happening within out staffing structure - teachers being moved elsewhere as the School role was dropping - we were not being looked at as a possible closure. One of the things I don't understand is why Nursery numbers are not included when School roles are being looked at. Surely this gives an indication of where the School will be in the future? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoogler Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 The people of Shetland need to get more informed and debate the implications of the new Curriculum for Excellence approach, which is going to seriously influence the logic of secondary education from top to bottom. It is this that is having the most bearing on the type of options that are summarised here and in todays ST. Earlier comment on here re the madness of moving after S3 'for a year' are superfluous - the whole system will be geared towards S1-3 followed by either a move to S4-6 for a qualification or to a vocational pathway for those not continuing.This is the threat to the whole current 'model' of Junior High education and before we get up in arms about school closires we need to debate CfE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khitajrah Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 Must admit I'm astounded that something as Shetland-wide as the Blueprint for Education, something whihc will affect every part of Shetland, whether you have children at school or not, is provoking so little comment on this forum. In fact it seems less important than "pies". I'm not sure where you are coming from soljey - 4 "pies" comments vs. 7 pages of Blueprint for Education? I've not read yesterday's Shetland Times yet (I will hunt for the article online once I've finished writing this) but as far as I understand it they want to close some rural schools that are a drain on funds? I grew up in backwoods Canada and had to wait at the end of the driveway in all sorts of weather in order to catch the schoolbus which took an hour, both ways, to get us to school and back. There is no big deal with commuting to school - I did it, hundreds of thousands of children around the world still do it - what's the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trowie246 Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 Pupils should not need to move anywhere for their final year if they want to leave the school at 16years. There is nothing in the curriculum for excellence that says a junior high should only go up to end of S3 The "options" report that has just come out is a red herring. The real proposals has been seen by headteachers and councillors last week. From what I can gather the real proposals are: Close Uyeasound primary and Baltasound secondary.Close Burravoe primary and have Mid Yell secondary until end of S3.Close Olnafirth primary and amalgamate Urafirth and North Roe with Ollaberry.Aith secondary until end of S3 and amalgamate Skeld, Happyhansel and Sandness (new build)Close Skerries secondary.Whalsay secondary until end of S3. Those are the ones I remember. Don't know about Scalloway.Someone somewhere decided these options looked too targeted. Thats why everything else has been thrown back in the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rasmie Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 It seems they want to decant Sandwick Secondary into the new Anderson High. Which may be less of a problems for Sandwick and north pupils than those travelling from da far Ness. It make make the most sense for pupils with propose changes in the exam system!This then leaves a half empty school - will they mothball it or will they bring in more primaries. The blueprint says it is not viable to close Boddam and Cunningsburgh., at this time. However Sandwick is by far the more modern building with a large four court gym and swimming pool. I cannot help but think that in the longer term, if this goes, ahead they will push all the South Mainland primaries into Sandwick. As far as the Anderson is concerned, will this enlarged roll mean that they they will be able to justify a larger school there. And I hear mutterings about the Clickhimin site then being too small with "risk of flooding" from global warming and possible subsidence from the old dump. Making the Knab site more economical - or - acceptable?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sangha Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 Well if they close Bressay Primary School what happens to the kids when the ferry stops running because of the weather and Nursery aged children and up to P7 are still in Lerwick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khitajrah Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 ^ I would suspect that the ferry operators would have to let the school and the parents know, somehow, that the ferry is going to stop running. They won't just leave the kids stranded in Lerwick. I wouldn't worry about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trowie246 Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 The problem is that we are trying to make things better for our children and not revert back to the way things used to be. With these poposals pupils from Unst will have a ferry journey to undertake each day. Bluemull sound ferry stops running frequently in winter time which I am sure the bairns will think is great if they can't to school but what happens if they are stuck at the other side? The vast majority of people do not want to move to an area that does not have a school fairly close to hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khitajrah Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 I'm the first to admit that I am a worrier, however, this, in my opinion, is not something to worry about. The kids are going to get an education, which is most important. There are millions of kids in the world who don't have this opportunity. There really are more important things to worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sangha Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 I think you need to appreciate how quickly a ferry can stop running - ferry operators don't always have time for one last run never mind having to wait for Primary School aged children to be gathered from different locations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trowie246 Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 And it isn't just ferries stopping running due to bad weather they also can break down. Usually without any warning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoogler Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 When a tunnel is built across Bluemull Sound this will not be a problem- likewise for Breassy Sound but on cost grounds Bressay will be behind Bluemull in terms of likely commitment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trowie246 Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 If they close Baltasound secondary there will never be a tunnel across Bluemull sound. Families will move away and young people won't settle there. Jobs go at the school, people move away. The leisure centre will close because of lack of use. I really don't think people who live on mainland Shetland understand what Island life is really like and the knock on effect closing schools will have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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