Wick school review plea is rejected
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A CALL for the current review of the four primary schools in Wick to be postponed has been rejected by a Caithness councillor.
Bill Fernie, who is chairman of the Highland Council’s education, culture and sport committee, said it would be better to “bring the matter to a conclusion rather than leave it up in the air”.
The Wick councillor stressed the review is trying to make the best use of existing resources and said the outcome could be improved educational provision in the town.
“Some people are taking a negative view and focusing only on the possibility of school closures but the review could lead to new or refurbished facilities instead of half-empty buildings,” Mr Fernie said..
He commented in response to a plea from Hillhead parent council chairman Dr Ewen Pearson who said the review of the Wick primaries should be put on hold. Such a move, he claimed, would be “the only common-sense way forward”.
Dr Pearson argued the moratorium on rural school closures proposed by Scottish education secretary Mike Russell has changed the council’s review to such an extent it should be postponed.
He said the planned year-long moratorium would take local rural schools out of the equation while the Highland Council has agreed not to ? proceed with its review in Thurso for another five to six years. That would leave Wick as the only area in the county where schools could be closed or amalgamated.
The local authority was considering closing schools such as Keiss and Thrumster and transferring the pupils to Wick but that would not happen if the moratorium is accepted.
Dr Pearson said there would be little point in making big changes in Wick and then a few years later shutting some of the rural schools.
However, Mr Fernie felt the review in Wick should continue and saw no merit in postponing it for a year.
“Why hold up something that could lead to schools in Wick being improved if it is not part of the moratorium? If we can’t do part of the review why should we not go on with the part that we can do? There is no reason why we can’t complete the review in Wick.
“I think it would be better to bring it to a conclusion rather than leave it up in the air,” stated the councillor.
He said even if Keiss or Thrumster schools were closed at a later date that decision would not impact “all that much on Wick”.
“In the long run this review will be to the advantage of the children in the Highlands,” stated Mr Fernie.
He said the request for the moratorium will be considered by the council on Thursday, June 23.
Meanwhile, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has rejected the call for a year’s postponement on rural school closures and claimed no case has been made for such a move.
It also said school closures are a matter for individual local councils.
Mr Russell has asked local authorities to agree to a moratorium on closures until June 2012 although the Scottish Government could force councils to comply with the request.
He said he was happy to talk to local councils which want to close rural schools but stressed decisions to shut schools must be about what is best for the community and people involved – and not about saving money.
Mr Russell has asked for a 12-month postponement of any rural school closures to allow a special commission to investigate the issue.
