We’ll f ight on to save school despite SNP snub, insist parents

PARENTS have vowed to continue the fight to take over a closurethreatened school despite their demands being rejected by SNP ministers.

St Joseph’s primary school in Milngavie is earmarked for closure but parents want to win control of the school from East Dunbartonshire Council.

But their plans were rejected by Education Secretary John Swinney when he unveiled his school reforms on Thursday. He ruled out the idea of English-style academy opt-outs.

Campaigners said they were ‘disappointed’ by the decision but were determined to continue their battle.

The plans were first submitted to the Scottish Government in February 2015 after receiving unanimous support from the school’s parent council.

Its chairman, Helen Williams, said: ‘We are very disappointed that the Scottish Government is not supporting our proposals to keep St Joseph’s in Milngavie.

‘After sitting on our proposals for more than two years, it would have been nice to get a phone call from John Swinney himself instead of an anonymous civil servant.

‘The Education Secretary ought to know that he won’t improve education by allowing good schools to close.

‘All we were asking for was a pilot to prove that a community-led school could work successfully.’

Paula Speirs, whose two children attended St Joseph’s, said: ‘The success of Jordanhill, in Glasgow, shows that giving parents a bigger say in schools can help raise standards. We don’t understand why the Scottish Government won’t let us do the same.

‘However, our campaign was always about saving our school rather than getting involved in bigger debates about Scottish education. That is still our priority.

‘We’re going to keep on fighting. We have a new administration on East Dunbartonshire Council who can make new choices. We have already met with our MP Jo Swinson and we’ll be going back to the council to put our case again.’

Parents want the highachieving institution to be Scotland’s first communityled school, with direct funding from the Scottish Government.

Scottish Conservative education spokesman Liz Smith said: ‘The parents at St Joseph’s are understandably aggrieved at this process and the outcome.

‘They’ve been strung along by the Scottish Government, yet it seems there was never any intention to accept their recommendations.

‘This is an opportunity missed by the SNP. St Joseph’s presented a real chance to make meaningful reforms to improve standards in Scotland’s schools.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We recognise what these parents are trying to achieve for their schools and their children, but schools also need support frameworks to function well.’

‘We are very disappointed’