‘I hope they consider the impact on the whole community’

KENNY Macaskill, East Lothian’s MP, described the move to mothball Humbie Primary School as “deeply disappointing for parents and the community”.

He said: “Schools are an integral part of the life of a village.

“Losing them not only makes it awkward for youngsters and parents but for all who live there.

“Mothballing sounds benign but folk can move as a result of its absence or fail to move in, making it an ageing society. Similarly, the fabric of the building can suffer.

“I hope the council might reconsider.” Paul Mclennan, MSP for East Lothian, said: “I appreciate council officers need to look to the longer-term best interests of our young people and, with such low pupil numbers at present, there are concerns about how sustainable this particular school is in the medium term.

“In the longer term, though, the decision about the future of Humbie Primary School will lie with councillors and I hope they consider the impact on the whole community.”

Craig Hoy, South Scotland MSP, added: “This will clearly be of concern to local residents in and around Humbie.

“Our village schools are an intrinsic part of East Lothian’s rural communities and East Lothian Council should be doing everything they can to preserve them. As a former councillor for the area, I spoke up for our rural schools and I will continue to do so.”

Martin Whitfield, fellow South Scotland MSP and a former primary school teacher, said: “I understand that the school roll at Humbie has fallen to a level where the council does not believe it is educationally viable for it to remain open.

“This was clearly a tough decision and will obviously be disappointing to some people in the village.

“However, the situation must be kept under review so it can be reconsidered if circumstances change.”