Schools chiefs bow to groups' pressure on Thursday closures

Published on Friday 20 March 2009 08:57

EDUCATION chiefs have ordered a review of school lets for community groups following anger over plans to close primaries on Thursday nights.

Officials are now preparing a report on the provision, organisation and usage of halls and rooms outwith school hours, while the way these facilities are marketed is also being reviewed.

The decision to close all city primary schools on Thursday nights has brought widespread criticism from community groups who say they will be left with nowhere else to go.

Parent councils of the primaries are also angry at the move as they want schools to engage more with the local community, and feel closing schools for a night each week will only alienate people.

But despite the fact education leader Marilyne MacLaren has now ordered a review of school lets, the council has not reversed the decision to close the buildings on Thursday nights.

Many believe the report should have been ordered before any decisions on the future of school lets were taken. Parents, community groups and opposition councillors all believe that, if marketed correctly, schools could attract many more groups.

Green councillor Alison Johnstone argues that the decision over Thursday night closures has "been imposed unilaterally by the council", without giving the education committee the chance to see proposals and without consultation with parents or groups.

She said: "I cannot understand how Councillor MacLaren can justify her position. On the one hand she is saying that a full review of school lets is now necessary, which is a clear admission that the original decision has been made in haste and without a proper weighing up of all the options, but on the other hand she is refusing to concede that this decision is wrong."

The Thursday night closures will be implemented in September for existing users, though no new lets will be offered from April on these nights. One Scout group which meets in Duddingston Primary every Thursday night says it will be forced to fold if the council does not change its position.

Leader Michael Halcrow said: "We have been meeting at Duddingston for more than 20 years.

"The Scout sessions will end up stopping because leaders are committed on most other nights."

Cllr Ewan Aitken has also raised concerns about shutting schools on a Thursday after receiving numerous complaints from community groups, including the Scout group. He added: "This is typical of the short-sighted approach to budgeting. All that will happen is that there will be fewer facilities for young people and communities will suffer."

The council says it will try to accommodate groups on a Thursday where no other option is available.

Cllr MacLaren said: "I want to reassure people that we are doing our best to make facilities available whilst at the same time making sensible financial decisions.

"This move will contribute towards savings of 300,000 per year to protect school budgets.

"We will be flexible, though – where facilities are little used, it makes no sense to keep them open, but where facilities are busy, current users will be given priority for alternative use in their existing school or, if necessary, an alternative school."