Fjool Posted December 2, 2007 Report Share Posted December 2, 2007 Interesting that you don’t support the retention of Skerries Secondary on the same grounds Fjool – a case of yes lets make cuts, but not if it affects an area I have a connection with?No, not really. I just think that each case is unique and requires different considerations. In the case of skerries, I'm not suggesting that the primary school is closed; I would disagree with this just as much as I would disagree with opening a secondary school in Sandness. I think that there's a big difference between providing secondary school education locally for a single child, to that of providing primary school education locally for several children (plus several more due to be starting in the near future). In the case of the Skerries, we're talking about a lad who is of an age to be heading into the hostel; a facility which is used by many other children around Shetland. If this doesn't suit then there's always the option of home schooling; a secondary school in Skerries is not the only option and, on balance, in this situation, I feel it's less than necessary. I just don't believe that this is a black/white issue where each case is equal and equivalent. Arguing for one and not the other is not contradictory at all. In general, however, I don't believe that making cuts to education is the correct thing to do at all. Education is where we want to be spending money, not saving it. A pound spent here is better than a pound spent almost anywhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlander Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 Assuming the target of getting down to Orkney's spend per pupil is reasonable (25% cut is that?) how should it be done, if closing schools is not a (political) option? On the Secondary side, transporting S5/S6 pupils from Yell and Whalsay to Brae every day should be considered to save hostelling costs. With Lerwick so close, I’d question the need for Scalloway Secondary but if that wasn’t going to be a bitter enough pill for folk there to swallow before, how is it going to be now if the Council have decided that keeping Skerries Secondary open at a cost of £80,000 can be justified? If the proposal to close Primaries is dead in the water, staffing levels within them should be looked at. I’ve commented on this before but I know of one with less than a dozen pupils that employs five people (granted on a part time basis) on top of the headteacher. Why not do as is done in Orkney and employ a School Assistant to cover all supervisory/support roles with secretarial services, school meals and specialist subjects being provided from a larger, central school? Knitting and free individual music tuition are things that should be looked at, but I suspect that will result in outcry from the cultural lobby. It doesn’t matter what’s proposed - somebody isn’t going to be happy. Councillors need to show that they have the balls to make the kind of money saving decisions that are necessary in the face of that and for the good of Shetland as a whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheesht Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 Councillors need to show that they have the balls to make the kind of money saving decisions that are necessary in the face of that and for the good of Shetland as a whole. That is really what it all boils down to. Those councilors who repeatedly vote against these major cost cutting measures, put forward to them by their own officials at the councilors request, are seriously burying their heads in the sand and continue to fritter away the reserves that should have been able to help sustain an economically vibrant economy is Shetland for generations to come. The only voice of reason I have heard so far coming from the chamber is Alan Wishart's (BBC Radio Shetland last Thursday night) although there were others who voted obviously but remain in the background. Those who continually vote against these, yes in some case hard to swallow, measures need to stand up and tell us all how they hope to achieve the same result – to cut spending. To vote against is easy but please come forward with alternatives that will keep make a difference year-on-year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lumpsucker Posted December 14, 2007 Report Share Posted December 14, 2007 (** mod edit - post merged with existing topic **) In the paper today it was reported that no further nursery provision would be made in central Shetland for the time being as there were no funds available for this. 21 3-4 year olds may have to be displaced from their nursery in Wadbister to get nursery education in Lerwick, Scalloway, Whiteness or Lunnasting. Also reported today the SIC could be spending up to £60m on a new high school (as long as there are no cost over-runs), and last week the SIC approved continuing to provide secondary education in Skerries for 1 pupil. I have to admit a vested interest in that I have a child due to start nursery education in central area in the next couple of years, however it seems to me that making decisions on this subject on an ad-hoc basis is resulting in preferential treatment for some areas to the detriment of others. Education in Shetland is incredibly expensive and I understand that the SIC cannot provide what every parent would ideally like for their child, but it is difficult not to feel aggrieved when your child is being treated as less deserving of education in their community as compared with someone elses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted December 14, 2007 Report Share Posted December 14, 2007 Nursery provision is not a right, it's an option. Your nursery voucher can be used anywhere, not just in a State funded nursery, though it isn't worth as much in a private nursery (only worth a half day in most cases, but a whole day in State nurseries). It is possible to set up a community nursery and recieve the state funding through those vouchers. A number of Waldorf Kindergardens have been set up this way. Not all have survived though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 As education dept accross the uk look at closing smaller schools to create "super-schools" this I think is one worry http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Pupils-treated-in-hospital-as.3781419.jp made me think about my opinions on closing the scalloway secondary dept. Maybe small secondary schools are a better idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoichkov Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Personally I think the smaller secondary schools in Shetland are essential to the success of the Isles education and should be kept at all costs. However, I think some of the primary schools could be closed or at least be mothballed to cut education costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlander Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 As education dept accross the uk look at closing smaller schools to create "super-schools" this I think is one worry http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Pupils-treated-in-hospital-as.3781419.jp made me think about my opinions on closing the scalloway secondary dept. Maybe small secondary schools are a better idea. If the Council are serious about saving money then closing Scalloway Secondary should be looked at as an option. Lerwick is just as accessible to much of its catchment area and the building of the new AHS (which looks likely to be able to accommodate numbers way beyond its current roll anyway) is an ideal opportunity to look at remodelling secondary provision in and around the Central Mainland. Have said it before, but why not send 5th and 6th year pupils from Yell and Whalsay to Brae to save on hostelling costs? And then there’s Skerries… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proudshetlander Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 (** mod edit - new topic merged with existing schools thread **) I see on the Shetland Today website that pupils were sent home becuase of a "significant" electrical fault. Is this a sign that Shetland needs a new AHS?!?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAStewart Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 No, its not, it just was an electrical fault. It happens. I love the AHS school, everything about it is awesome, but it seems evident that it will be built, and so I think it should be on the same site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest posiedon Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 There are schools "sooth" that were built in Victorian times, including the one I attended, I can't see why a relatively "modern" school like the AHS needs to be replaced at all.I see on the Shetland Today website that pupils were sent home becuase of a "significant" electrical fault. Is this a sign that Shetland needs a new AHS?No! it just needs to be rewired, christ! my school had lead based paint on the railings and outside lavies, what is with this throw away society that newbuild takes priority over upgrade? And costs an arm and a leg more.I think Shetland council have had too much money over the past 30 odd years, and have lost their grip on the value of it (money). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 posiedon wroteThere are schools "sooth" that were built in Victorian times, including the one I attended, I can't see why a relatively "modern" school like the AHS needs to be replaced at all. Well the simple answer to that is because it is relatively modern. Or to be accurate some parts of it are relatively modern and need to be replaced. I am sure the original building is good for many years yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoichkov Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 I think much of the present building was thrown up very quickly in the 70s with the oil industry. I don't think that it was really built to last and at present the school isn't in the best of shape. I hope the new building will be a much better design and will last for quite a few generations, just wish they'd get on with it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlander Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Whilst I'd doubt that todays electrical fault has anything to do with the state of the existing AHS, I didn't think the need for a new school, in principle at least, was any way in dispute. The cost of a replacement is already coming at a significant price tag - and even if there are ways for that to be reduced, millions more would be needed to prepare a greenfield site such as Clickimin for a new school. This has been debated for years. The SIC needs to press on with its plans to build a replacement at the Knab before inflation increases costs even further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest posiedon Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 StoichkovI think much of the present building was thrown up very quickly in the 70s with the oil industry.Why do they do that? Christ! were going backwards, in the old days things were built to last, I fecking hate this throw away mentality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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