Decision to close school ‘dangerous’

EDUCATION: Council chiefs criticised and told by parents to ditch ‘daft’ idea

Angus education chiefs have been warned they risk alienating rural residents if they do not throw away the “daft” idea of closing Stracathro school.

For the second time, the community is facing a fight to hang on to the small primary after proposals were put forward to axe the already empty glens schools at Tarfside and Lethnot and send Stracathro children to an expanded Edzell premises.

Council strategic director Mark Armstrong told a public meeting in Edzell last night the authority must create a more sustainable – but smaller – school estate.

He rejected a suggestion changes were being cost-driven and said an ambitious 30-year council plan was focused on improving the estate and quality of learning across Angus.

Local campaigner High Campbell Adamson branded the council’s handling of the proposal as “dangerous”.

“Not a single parent wants this school to close.

“You are telling parents that they don’t know what is good for their children and that is very worrying,” he said.

Angry parents have pledged do whatever it takes to avert what was branded the “cost-driven, self-fulfilling prophecy” of their local primary’s closure.

At a public meeting to discuss the authority’s proposal to close Stracathro Primary and transfer pupils to Edzell, parents of pupils present and past made impassioned pleas in what is the second fight to save the highly-regarded facility.

And the council was challenged to bin the “daft” idea of shutting Stracathro and avoid “alienating” rural residents.

Inglis Hall in Edzell staged the formal public meeting, which the council arranged after bowing to pressure from those fighting to retain the school.

Angus Council strategic director Mark Armstrong spoke of the “very ambitious vision for the entire school estate”.

“We want to give all our children and young people in Angus the same access to opportunities,” Mr Armstrong said.

However, he told the hall the councillors who will make the decision on the shape of the school estate faced a “balancing act”.

“You are telling the parents of Stracathro that they do not know what’s good for their children and I find that very worrying

“We need to improve the school estate, to make it more sustainable, but overall we need a smaller estate,” he said.

Leading campaigner Lee Ann Waddell, vice-chair of the school’s parent council, who has already called for the plan to be called in by the Scottish Government, said: “There are so many things wrong with this consultation I don’t know where to begin.

“Not a second thought has been given to keeping the school open. Contradictions during the consultation so far have been rife and the sums just don’t add up,” she said.

Community figure Hugh Campbell Adamson told the council panel: “Not a single parent wants the school to close.

“You are telling the parents of Stracathro that they do not know what’s good for their children and I find that very worrying.

“Good people previously managed to stop this daft idea, don’t let it happen now.

“All you are going to do is alienate the countryside and prove to us all that you only want to centralise,” he said.

Angus Council leader and local independent councillor Bob Myles was put under pressure over a claim he told a pre-consultation meeting Stracathro was not under threat and although he declined to respond to that, he assured the community their views would be taken on board.

“This is a consultation and as councillors we are indebted to everyone for their contributions – they will be listened to,” he said.

Picture: Paul Reid. Mark Armstrong, left, and Steven Mill at last night’s meeting.

Picture: Paul Reid. Hugh Campbell Adamson makes his point during the meeting in Edzell to discuss controversial proposals to shut Stracathro Primary School.