Save Scalloway School

[daveh]

As a fairly-recent incomer to the Shetland community, I am staggered by the many ways that the council wastes its money whilst seeking to reign in expenditure in areas that cause such resentment.

 

Can someone please explain to me why the councillors are all "independent" rather than being affiliated to a political party? I feel that if the councillors were Lib Dems or Tories, the wastage just wouldn't have been there to anywhere near the extent it has been and we thus wouldn't be seeing the potential damage to the Scalloway community, for instance, that will be caused if the school there closes.

[JustMe]

Just by chance I was looking at the council website yesterday and it does not claim that all 22 are independent. Instead it lists 11 as independent and 11 as "none" meaning no declared party. Maybe symbolic of the somewhat disorganised state of the SIC.

[Earl Patrick]

As a fairly-recent incomer to the Shetland community, I am staggered by the many ways that the council wastes its money whilst seeking to reign in expenditure in areas that cause such resentment.

 

Can someone please explain to me why the councillors are all "independent" rather than being affiliated to a political party? I feel that if the councillors were Lib Dems or Tories, the wastage just wouldn't have been there to anywhere near the extent it has been and we thus wouldn't be seeing the potential damage to the Scalloway community, for instance, that will be caused if the school there closes.

 

Simple - no whip, no rules, no accountability. just self interest and anarchy

[Cygni]

Good luck with the Scottish Ministers. Hope you retain your fine school.

[Graeme_Storey]

Good luck with the Scottish Ministers. Hope you retain your fine school.

 

^ ^ ^ exactly that.

[keldaberg]

As a fairly-recent incomer to the Shetland community, I am staggered by the many ways that the council wastes its money whilst seeking to reign in expenditure in areas that cause such resentment.

 

Can someone please explain to me why the councillors are all "independent" rather than being affiliated to a political party? I feel that if the councillors were Lib Dems or Tories, the wastage just wouldn't have been there to anywhere near the extent it has been and we thus wouldn't be seeing the potential damage to the Scalloway community, for instance, that will be caused if the school there closes.

 

Most, if not, all of our councillors are Tories or Lib Dems, Daveh. That's why they've closed Scalloway

[daveh]

Thanks for that response, keldaberg! Great to see you posting here.

 

Surely, if they were Tories, they wouldn't have been wasting many hundreds of thousands of pounds of the public's money on unnecessary expenditure in recent times; such as approximately £500k to get rid of David Clarke. They have been spending money as if it has been going out of fashion; very un-Tory like.

 

I would presume that your statement, referring to the councillors as being Tories or Lib Dems as being pure speculation. I would be interested to hear your reasoning behind the statement.

[gafynandrew]

A bit late, but how about this alternative idea ...

 

Instead of closing the secondary department at Scalloway and bussing 100+ pupils to the AHS each day, why not keep Scalloway open and bus 100+ pupils the other way, TO Scalloway.

 

A bold idea, maybe, (and clearly there would be many details to thrash out) but on the face of it there are many of benefits:

 

- Scalloway would stay open, which is what the community obviously wants, and would become more 'viable' in the long term (in terms of cost-per-pupil, and such like)

 

- The overcrowding problems at the AHS would be reduced, perhaps leading to improved comfort/morale/etc

 

- The transport costs are no higher than they are with the proposal that was voted through today

 

- It might even allow the SIC to spend a lot less on the new AHS, which wouldn't need to be so big.

 

Just an idea.

 

 

I said something similar in an earlier post except my idea was a little more radical......Build the new school IN Scalloway....there's no want for ground on the existing site what with a large field on the west side of the school.

[GypsyScy]

Local councillors have made their decision. 13 of them, unfortunately, chose not to listen to the community.

 

However, the law gives us another chance. Scalloway Parent Council has already notified the government of our intention to request a call-in of this decision. There is no guarantee we will be successful but we feel that we have a very strong case.

 

Individuals and community groups can also put in a request for a call-in

email

schoolestate@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

 

there is guidance at

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/education/schools/buildings/changestoschoolestate

on what constitutes a reason for a call in

 

Basically, if you think that you have a reason for a call-in, but you are not sure, I would suggest that you send in your comments and let the Scottish Government officials decide if it is a valid reason or not.

 

Now that the decision-making has moved on to the national stage. We can request support from MSPs. We have an MSP representing Shetland and don't forget the Regional MSPs, all their contact details are listed below.

 

So if you are feeling angry or dejected or frustrated about what has happened this week, please email or write to one or all of the following and ask them for their support in securing a call-in of the decision on the school.

Tavish Scott MSP

171 Commercial Street

Lerwick

Shetland

ZE1 0HX

 

Parliament:

Tavish Scott MSP

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

 

Telephone: 01595 690044

Text Relay calls welcome

Fax: 01595 690055

 

Telephone: 0131 348 5815

Fax: 0131 348 5807

 

Parliament Office E-mail: Tavish.Scott.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

 

Constituency Office E-mail: tscott@supanet.com

 

Regional Office:

Rob Gibson MSP

4 Grant Street

Wick

Caithness

KW1 5AY

 

Parliament:

Rob Gibson MSP

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

 

Telephone: 01955 605016

Text Relay calls welcome

Fax: 01955 604963

 

Telephone: 0131 348 5725

Fax: 0131 348 5943

 

Parliament Office E-mail: Rob.Gibson.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

 

Regional Office E-mail: niall.macdonald@scottish.parliament.uk

 

Regional Office:

Rhoda Grant MSP

Queensgate Business Centre

1-3 Fraser Street

Inverness

IV1 1DW

 

Parliament:

Rhoda Grant MSP

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

 

Telephone: 01463 716299

Text Relay calls welcome

Fax: 01463 716572

Fax: 0131 348 5767

 

Parliament Office E-mail: Rhoda.Grant.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

 

Regional Office:

Jamie McGrigor MSP

61 Chalmers Street

Ardrishaig

Argyll

PA30 8DX

 

Parliament:

Jamie McGrigor MSP

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

 

Telephone: 01546 606586

Text Relay calls welcome

Fax: 01546 605387

Telephone: 0131 348 5616

Fax: 0131 348 5656

 

Parliament Office E-mail: Jamie.Mcgrigor.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

 

Regional Office E-mail: douglas.pattullo@scottish.parliament.uk

 

Regional Office:

Peter Peacock MSP

Highlands & Islands Labour MSPs' Office

PO Box 5717

Inverness

IV1 1YT

 

Parliament:

Peter Peacock MSP

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

 

Telephone: 01463 716299

Text Relay calls welcome

Fax: 01463 716572

 

Telephone: 0131 348 5766

Fax: 0131 348 5767

Parliament Office E-mail: Peter.Peacock.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

 

Regional Office:

Mary Scanlon MSP

14(a) Ardross Street

Inverness

IV3 5NS

 

Parliament:

Mary Scanlon MSP

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

 

Telephone: 01463 241004

Text Relay calls welcome

Fax: 01463 241164

 

Telephone: 0131 348 5460

Fax: 0131 348 6673

Parliament Office E-mail: Mary.Scanlon.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

 

Regional Office:

David Stewart MSP

Highlands and Islands MSPs Office

PO Box 5717

Inverness

IV1 1YT

 

Parliament:

David Stewart MSP

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

 

Telephone: 01463 716299

Text Relay calls welcome

Fax: 01463 716572

 

Telephone: 0131 348 5766

Fax: 0131 348 5767

 

Parliament Office E-mail: David.Stewart.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

 

Regional Office:

Dave Thompson MSP

Thorfin House

Bridgend Business Park

Dingwall

Ross-shire

IV15 9SL

 

Parliament:

Dave Thompson MSP

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

 

Telephone: 01349 864701

Text Relay calls welcome

Fax: 01349 866327

 

 

Fax: 0131 348 5327

 

Parliament Office E-mail: Dave.Thompson.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

[MuckleJoannie]

I would presume that your statement, referring to the councillors as being Tories or Lib Dems as being pure speculation. I would be interested to hear your reasoning behind the statement.

 

Gary Robinson stood as a Conservative candidate in the 1999 Scottish Parlaiment election

 

Gussie Angus was part of the 1999 SIC LibDem administration

[JAStewart]

I would presume that your statement, referring to the councillors as being Tories or Lib Dems as being pure speculation. I would be interested to hear your reasoning behind the statement.

 

Gary Robinson stood as a Conservative candidate in the 1999 Scottish Parlaiment election

 

Gussie Angus was part of the 1999 SIC LibDem administration

 

Yes and I used to have socialist beliefs. Change can happen.

 

In all honesty, the majority of people who have spoken to me about the SCY school are in favour of it being closed. I think I've spoken to a total of two people who are against it.

[paulb]

and we can all guess were they were from. so if the story is true in the times. sixty extra teachers will get the sack to fund the new school. how is that going to improve education for the kid outwith lerwick.

[kittybee]

(** THE FOLLOWING WAS COPIED FROM THE SHETLAND NEWS WEBSITE THIS EVENING**)

 

 

AHS worries

 

SHETLAND Islands Council might not be able to fulfil its legal obligations on education due to the way the new Anderson High School is to be funded.

 

If Shetland Charitable Trust invests up to £50 million building the new high school at Lower Staney Hill, the SIC’s schools service would have to pay a lease of around £3 million per year from its revenue account.

 

SIC head of schools Helen Budge said that expenditure would be “the equivalent of a reduction of another 60 teachers (in addition to that already agreed by the education blueprint)â€.

 

She warned: “At that staffing level, there would be concerns that the authority could continue to meet its legal obligations, without another fundamental review and radical reduction to the current level of provision.â€

 

(**COPIED FROM THE SHETLAND NEWS WEBSITE**)

 

 

 

This is interesting after the council deciding to close scalloway eh? lets all have a vote on what we think they will do to shetlands smaller communities now.....

[Wagon Wheel]

The above post AHS worries would be better as a new topic, then anybody in favour of closing SJHS might actually read it.

We have been trying to tell people this for months but they all thought if SJHS closes it will be ok. So how many more schools have to close in order to build the new AHS (Angus High School)?

[Boris]

So the masterplan is now taking shape. I wonder how many of the constituants of the ward where Councilors voted to close Scalloway are now worried about their own schools.

 

This is whats considered a consultation apparently.

 

J A Stewart, I am someone who fully understands the need to address the spending on education but I am afraid this is just cop out. If the Council are serious about making cuts explain the money the will throw at other projects ower the scord. So far the sums spent and future spends quoted are nothing short of shocking.

 

Scalloway is an easy target for Councillors who will now say they tried, even though their actions will achieve nothing. Scalloway and its surrounding communities are expected to accept this while money gets thrown at luxuries elsewhere.

 

From the outside its easy to see only bricks and motar, from inside the community the school is a beating heart. Over the years many of its staff have contriuted so much to shaping our lives and not ony in the classroom. I could provide a long list of staff who made huge contribution to the community outwith school hours. Even the most toonie of toonies could surely understand why the people effected are livid.

 

We have spent the last ten years reading about the condition of the AHS, now one of the newest and statistacally best schools is to be closed. Why couldnt they do it when the new 50 million Angussie High School is actually built.

 

From this side of the hills the whole thing reeks.