Save Scalloway School

[Shoogler]

I would wish to see a very, very hard attempt made at cost savings through departmental efficiency across the whole service before seeing any closure of schools. The only exception to this should be when a long term decline in school role for whatever reason is evident.

 

I realise the current Blueprint proposals do include efficiency savings but how much do we know of the proposed targets and the timescale for delivery? The current SIC has shown no ability to seriously address its budget issues through targeted efficiency savings, etc so it hardly breeds confidence.

[trowie246]

I would wish to see a very, very hard attempt made at cost savings through departmental efficiency across the whole service before seeing any closure of schools. The only exception to this should be when a long term decline in school role for whatever reason is evident.

 

 

I'm a bit fed up of councillors harping on about falling school rolls. Yes, the secondary numbers will keep falling for the next few years. However, nursery figures are showing extremely high numbers this year. This is due to the fact that birth rates in Shetland have been increasing for a number of years. I think I worked out that overall school rolls had fallen by 20% in the last 15 years, no-where near the 50% that Gussie Angus has quoted on many occassions.

 

Nursery bairns become primary bairns and primary bairns become secondary bairns eventually. It would be very short-sighted to carry on with this kind of slash and burn of the school estate.

 

Historically in communites school rolls go up and down. This is just the way of it. I believe that a small school should never close unless the community wants it to.

[KTL]

SIC Services committee will meet in the Town Hall on Tuesday 7 Dec. at 10 am to make its decision on whether or not to close Scalloway and Skerries secondary schools. This meeting will be chaired by Gussie Angus.

The public can attend this meeting, and a big turn out from parents, relatives, grannies and granddads and other folk from the community would be great.

On Wednesday, the full council will meet to make the final decision on closure. This meeting will be chaired by Sandy Cluness.

The presence of the public at these meetings could make a big difference to the outcome.

The decision to close schools will be for councillors and councillors alone.

[damissinlink]

i hope scalloway and skerries both get kept open for the good of their communitys

[GypsyScy]

I think this thread was started by the bairns from the Scalloway Secondary School and they have been fronting a huge campaign themselves. Parents from Scalloway did attend the meeting in regards to Skerries in support of the parents and pupils and it has always been pointed out that the clsoure of any of the secondary departments was detrimental to the local community. Skerries have full support from the Scalloway community.

[justsomeguy]

Officially closed

 

http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2010/12/07/councillors-vote-to-close-scalloway-junior-high-secondary-department

[kittybee]

I have just learned that the decision has been made to close scalloway secondary dept. (pending tomorrows full council meeting - which i believe is just a formality.)

I am totally devastated at this decision!!

The council are making a HUGE mistake here I think.

It will take them a while to realise it, and by then it will be too late.

its a sad day for all affected.

[GypsyScy]

Just been at the meeting....9-13 against keeping Scalloway open, our only hope now will be that the government realise the mistakes that are being made and over ride the councils decisions.

[kittybee]

did they make a decision on skerries school?

[Boris]

Unfortunatley I felt this was always going to be the outcome, many Councillors will be hoping this means the schools in their own area will be untouched and couldnt care less about the community in Scalloway.

 

There is no educational reason for this decision and the cost savings can quickly be ripped apart. If the Council were so keen on saving money why havnt they considered refurbishing the existing Anderson High School and why did not have a problem with the huge sums of money being thrown at building a new school.

 

If they had sorted out the situation at the Anderson perhaps the closure of Scalloway would have been more palatable.

[GypsyScy]

The meeting in regards to Skerries is happening now....

[kittybee]

well im sending them all the luck I have!

looks as though they will need it!

[kittybee]

Decision on skerries made....

its not getting closed - well done!

[Jumbo]

Wow, just when you thought the council had grown a back bone to make a big decisions they bottle it at the second attempt.

Fair play to Skerries but I cant see many Scalloway folk being happy with their School closing and Skerries staying open.

[kittybee]

well im fae scalloway.... and yes we are devastated, but so glad skerries had good news.

...have to say dont think it wis a fair decision on scalloway, GREAT STNKIN HUGE mistake has been made!!

BUT... well done skerries, your community will not suffer.

now were lookin to skerries folk an aabody else to support wis!