Spinner72 Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 ^^ Unfortunately that is not really among the options before them. I do think they could address the savings issue at the same time as moving away from centralisation by transporting central pupils to the likes of Aith and Sandwick as already mentioned, but as far as I can see it is not a current option. The only other option is to come up with alternative funding - which is how any objections to any proposed cuts, not just in schools, must be based. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavi Ugl Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 I think it's unfair to say that there is bias and centralisation in favour of Lerwick. For all it's faults the SIC has tried it's best to support rural Shetland but we're facing a financial blackhole unless we change things. It could be argued that the rural areas and islands have never had it so good. Nevertheless, closing schools is a very hard pill to swallow and it will sadly "rip the heart out" of some communities until things settle down and adjust but blaming Lerwick is not the answer - we're all in this together whether we like it or not and for that reason we need to face it as one community. I stress again that the peerier bairns need to be protected in relation to any new travel distances and times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trowie246 Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 If your proposing to close all but one of the JHS's in Shetland (and that one has only been saved because it is brand new) and have them taught in a school in Lerwick I fail to see how that is anything other than centralisation and a bias towards Lerwick. But I do agree that the SIC has given a degree of support to rural areas in the past, including a roro ferry to Papa Stour which the majority of islanders didn't want/need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoogler Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 ^^^.. and your alternative is what trowie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staney Dale Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 I had a most helluva job finding the report - council website gets no better - but it's worth a read, especially by the knee-jerk brigade. http://www.shetland.gov.uk/coins/submissiondocuments.asp?submissionid=13541 It is coherent and interesting, by SIC standards at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trowie246 Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 ^^^.. and your alternative is what trowie? My 'alternative' is leave the rural areas alone. We're sick and fed up of being continually targeted. Go ahead and build a 'super' primary school in Lerwick, one school instead of two for Lerwick. Despite Brian Smith's chastising of councillor Manson for speaking up and saying more jobs could go within the SIC I think she is only speaking the truth. He says that job losses means an impact on the economy and society. What about the economy and society of rural Shetland by closing schools? You can always create more jobs in the future if necessary but once a school shuts it shuts for good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CyprusPluto Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 I had a most helluva job finding the report - council website gets no better - but it's worth a read, especially by the knee-jerk brigade. http://www.shetland.gov.uk/coins/submissiondocuments.asp?submissionid=13541 It is coherent and interesting, by SIC standards at least. Many thanks for this Staney Dale. Agree, it is interesting and coherent. There are some big numbers there. I do think the travel times are pretty high for young children, although when I was young I had to walk 2 miles to and from school.I for one constantly call on the Council to be positive and decisive, but my heart sinks when I try to assess the impact on the outer island communities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staney Dale Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 This attitude that schools have to be propped up, even though they are not best for the children, really grates. It's a false subsidy. If the only thing keeping a community together is a school, there's probably something badly wrong with it already. I can think of several places, Bigton springs to mind, that is a vibrant community without a school. If people would put their energy into their neighbourhood rather than slagging the toon - cheapest education in Shetland by the way - they might do more good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russabell Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 My 'alternative' is leave the rural areas alone. We're sick and fed up of being continually targeted. Go ahead and build a 'super' primary school in Lerwick, one school instead of two for Lerwick. I would have no problem with a so-called super primary in Lerwick for my bairns - makes perfect sense. Can't see how it would solve all the financial problems though, especially since it costs per pupil in Lerwick are a lot less than elsewhere. This attitude that schools have to be propped up, even though they are not best for the children, really grates. It's a false subsidy. If the only thing keeping a community together is a school, there's probably something badly wrong with it already. I can think of several places, Bigton springs to mind, that is a vibrant community without a school. If people would put their energy into their neighbourhood rather than slagging the toon - cheapest education in Shetland by the way - they might do more good. Couldn't agree more Staney Dale. Lots of examples of vibrant communities without schools and sick and tired of everything being blamed on Lerwick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulb Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 This attitude that schools have to be propped up, even though they are not best for the children, really grates. It's a false subsidy. If the only thing keeping a community together is a school, there's probably something badly wrong with it already. I can think of several places, Bigton springs to mind, that is a vibrant community without a school. If people would put their energy into their neighbourhood rather than slagging the toon - cheapest education in Shetland by the way - they might do more good. well it will save on heating they will be crammed into an unfit building. ifthey had the new anderson built it would be harder to argue against. get the new school built and then move the other schools if they must but until its built please dont try and make out that the anderson is the best for the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staney Dale Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 Have you read the report? Or the AHS inspection report? please try to post facts rather than knee-jerk perpetuation of myths. You will note that a major part of the plan suggests waiting for a new AHS, and that he current school I very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoogler Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 ^^I would have agreed with that up until this new council, when the true state of overspend of reserves has become clearer. Now i don't think we can afford to wait for the new school to be completed before making at least some of the education savings - so please councillors stick with the plan and just be straight and honest about the numbers, i.e. do the work on costings and include ALL the costs such as transport/hostelling etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoogler Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 previous post response to paulb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 Not living in the past at all. Orkney Islands Council already run a pretty efficient operation with roughly 1/3 fewer staff than us. This one comes up fairly often, but I've not seen any breakdown by service provision. Is there something out there somewhere? Otherwise, with Ferries, Ports and Harbours, Social Care staff and so on, it's hard to tell if it like for like numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ariel Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 I can think of several places, Bigton springs to mind, that is a vibrant community without a school Agree, Staney Dale - and I can also think of several places that have a school that don't do all that well at community spirit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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