Hugh Reilly: Time to hang out the bedsheets

Published on Tuesday 7 September 2010 14:01

When it came to ripping out the heart of communities, Genghis Khan wasn't big on consultation. For example, at the city of Urgench, contemporary writers claim that around a million or so citizens were slaughtered when they took exception to the Mongol leader's rather autocratic decision-making style regarding the future ownership of the city.

Apparently, Khan had many good points - promoting religious tolerance, expanding trade opportunities and creating the largest contiguous empire the world has ever seen, But, perhaps due to poor PR and a lack of emotional intelligence, Genghis will forever be remembered as the man who put "Gen" in genocide.

Next month, the Scottish government will publish data showing the number of schools operating below 50 per cent capacity. Optimists and pessimists will argue whether the class is half full or half empty, but if cash-strapped councils have their way the only bells ringing near small schools will be in the ears of people struck by tinnitus. Sure, all stakeholders will be consulted as a result of the Schools Consultation Bill passed last year. Options will be put before gullible parents who actually believe their views will be taken into consideration. Yes folks, there's no business like sham business.

Attempts to fight a school closure follow a rehearsed script. In deprived areas, a group of well-meaning but largely inarticulate parents will meet in the Tenants Hall to protest the proposed closure of the primary school. If they're lucky, a local socialist activist, buoyed by receiving 42 votes at the last council election, will chair the meeting and blame the bankers, the Tories and the capitalist running dogs at the City Chambers.

To raise public awareness of the issue, bingo-dauber pens will be used to scrawl the unimaginative slogan "Save Our School" on donated white bedsheets which will be draped across the school's railings. It's all good stuff, but ultimately futile. Within weeks, what was the school building will have been pummelled into aggregate for the M74 extension and the pupils bussed to a brave new world of efficient education.

Middle-class parents enjoy greater success in keeping a school open. Ditching the sawn-off shotgun approach of their impoverished peers, they opt for the sniper approach, with the crosshairs firmly on the politicians. MSP and councillor surgeries resemble the opening of Harrods Boxing Day sale. Unsurprisingly, some elected representatives wilt under this assault and the school gates remain open.

In my experience, when it comes to school closures, the hypocrisy of politicians knows no bounds. For example, if you believe councillors, schools are never shut down because of cost - it's always down to sound educational reasons. In the early Nineties, Strathclyde Regional Council decided to close all three secondary schools in Drumchapel and build a new non-denominational school on the site of St Pius Secondary. While the locals were outraged, the constituency's MP, Donald Dewar, was strangely silent. The convener of the education committee, Ian Davidson, visited my closure-threatened school, Kingsridge (pupil roll 300) and stated that small schools were unable offer kids an appropriate breadth of curriculum. A few years later, now the MP for Govan, he fought to keep St Gerard's open (pupil roll less than 300). A journey, indeed.

It is upsetting for pupils to discover that the place where they had learned to read, write and snog is facing the axe. On hearing that Kingsridge had taken a bullet, the kids staged a walk-out and sat on a grassy knoll chanting, yes, you've guessed it, "Save Our School". When the throng became aware that chalkies were watching the happening from the staffroom, a new refrain filled the air: "If you hate the f****** teachers clap your hands!" Teenagers are so fickle.

Councils judge it to be an open-and-shut case to decimate small schools, but I hope that the public severely examines their closing arguments.