Parents win fight to stop closure of nursery at college

Parents and staff at the 8+, Perth &ollege nursery have won their fight to NeeS it oSen 7he news came Must hours after do]ens of Sarents staged a Srotest over SroSosals that included closing down the facility

7he college run by the 8niversity of the +ighlands and ,slands is maNing cuts to Slug a d million blacN hole in its finances with Slans to slash Mobs

7he nursery used by students lecturers and the Sublic was included in the SroSosed cost saving measures

+owever last night college bosses confirmed the nursery was no longer Sart of the consultation

'r 0argaret &ooN 8+, Perth’s SrinciSal and chief executive said k7he collective consultation

Srocess within 8+, Perth is Srogressing

k:e have met with our recognised trade unions and emSloyee reSresentatives on two occasions and met with a number of staff teams individuals and external staNeholders as well as receiving feedbacN Tuestions and comments from both within and outside the college y

'r &ooN confirmed the college will be removing the nursery from the current consultation Srocess which will be extended to SeStember

She added k7he nursery manager will worN with the vice SrinciSal to looN at what oStions can be considered to maNe the nursery a viable oStion for the future

k&hildren will continue to be acceSted for the academic year kStaff have been informed and a letter will go out to Sarents carers todayy

SSeaNing at the Srotest Siobhan &amSbell who is studying cooNery says she was kdisgustedy by the situation

7he year old said k1one of the Sarents Nnew until it was out in the media ,’m a student here and SeoSle who are looNing to move on to further courses have been given no warning

k,f this nursery isn’t oSen there’s no way ,’ll be able to come bacN and do an +1'

k0y son is autistic and this nursery has been so suSSortive – ,’ll not be able to find anywhere that’s suitable for him in Perth

k7he decision has been mind boggling y

-ustyna *raMewsNa says if it was not for the nursery she would not have been able to finish her degree in SoSular music

She said k, thinN the situation is disgusting

k:hile ,’ve been studying here ,’ve been a single Sarent – this nursery was the only way to comSlete my studies – they’re flexible to my studying Satterns

k,t’s disgusting how everyone’s found out – , feel sorry for the staff

k,t’ll be really hard for me to find reSlacement childcare y

*regor 7homSson’s son Sonny goes to the nursery

*regor who used to study at 8+, said k Sonny was at another nursery and didn’t enMoy it so we moved him here because my Sartner got a Mob here and , was attending here

k+e loved it from the minute he steSSed foot in it

k,t seems liNe a silly thing to cut 7here are single mums and SeoSle studying trying to better their situations y

PROTEST: Families turned out in numbers to fight the move to axe the nursery. Picture by Mhairi Edwards.