Parents demand standards inquiry into 'lying' MacLaren

Published on Saturday 2 January 2010 10:18

EDUCATION leader Marilyne MacLaren has been reported to the Standards Commission for the second time in as many years by a parent who is accusing her of "blatantly lying" to councillors over school closures.

Parent councils from schools across the city are furious at claims that parents supported school closures, made by Councillor MacLaren at the council meeting which decided the fate of four primaries earlier this month.

Cllr MacLaren said that at a meeting of the Consultative Committee With Parents (CCWP) the previous night, she had asked parents whether they supported the closure plans – and that the broad view was that they did.

But some parents who were at the CCWP meeting dispute this, and say that they actually refused to be drawn into discussing the issue of closures or take part in a "straw poll".

They are now writing to the council's chief executive to officially complain about Cllr MacLaren, and a complaint has already been submitted to the Standards Commission, which has the power to censure, suspend or ban councillors from public office for up to five years.

Bruce Sherry, parent council chairman of East Craigs Primary – who made the complaint to the watchdog – has called for the education leader to resign.

He said: "I, like many parents, have had no confidence in Marilyne MacLaren for quite some time, but she has now lost any trust and credibility with parents."

Cllr MacLaren made the comment during her opening statement outlining the case for closing Fort, Burdiehouse, Royston and Drumbrae primaries – which were all subsequently closed on the casting vote of Lord Provost George Grubb.

However, the council's own official minutes of the CCWP meeting note that parents said it was "not fair" to be asked for views on school closures as they did not have all the facts. It is not yet known whether the Standards Commission will investigate the complaint submitted by parents.

Martin Williams, of Clermiston Primary's parent council, who attended both meetings, said: "There was no consensus by parents (at the CCWP] meeting for further school rationalisation and closure. A couple of voices were heard saying that this should be looked at and equally other voices spoke out against.

"MacLaren tried to get a show of hands from the room but was challenged on this."

Asked about the complaint, Cllr MacLaren insisted there had been support for the council's plans at the meeting.

She said: "It was clear at the CCWP meeting that whilst there were people who weren't supportive of school closures, there were more who were supportive of our ongoing rationalisation process.

"I was surprised at this at the time and this is what I communicated at the council meeting."

Cllr MacLaren was reported to the Standards Commission last year by parent Lynda Flex for removing her from a group set up to look at school closures after falsely accusing her of leaking information.

She was formally cleared by the public sector watchdog, but was rapped for making "an error of judgement".

The investigation found that Cllr MacLaren had acted hastily on evidence based "on suspicion" instead of factual evidence when she removed Mrs Flex from the forum. She was also ordered to apologise to Mrs Flex by council chief executive Tom Aitchison.