Schools chief 'sticks fingers up at parents' with e-card

Published on Monday 21 December 2009 09:51

PARENTS of children at an axed city primary have accused education leader Marilyne MacLaren of "sticking two fingers" up at them after she sent them a Christmas card – on the day she voted to close their school.

Grant and Arlene Cunningham, the chair and secretary of Royston Primary School's parent council, are furious at the gesture, saying it's "sticking the knife in" after councillors in the Lib Dem/SNP administration voted to close the school on Thursday night.

All opposition councillors voted to keep Royston, Fort, Burdiehouse and Drumbrae open – but they were outnumbered when it came down to the casting vote of Lord Provost George Grubb. The electronic Christmas card was sent out by Councillor MacLaren's office as parents were returning to the City Chambers after a break to hear the fate of their schools being sealed by councillors.

Mr Cunningham said: "It's an absolute disgrace. To do that at this time is just sticking the knife in. The way she has treated parents and kids throughout this consultation process is a joke and to send us a Christmas card after closing our school is disgusting.

"She should be ashamed of herself. She is heartless and it feels like she is sticking two fingers up at us."

Tory councillor Gordon Buchan was also unimpressed after receiving a traditional non-electronic Christmas card from education director Gillian Tee on the same day, branding it a waste of taxpayers' money.

He said: "I just think that at the same time as Cllr MacLaren was spelling out the dire financial situation of the education department, for Gillian Tee to be sending out printed Christmas cards paid for by the taxpayer is sending out completely the wrong message.

"I haven't met anybody in the street that thinks the thing the council must do for them is send them a Christmas card that the taxpayer has paid for.

"If things are as tight as we're being told they are, they should be looking at non-essential items and services.

"They're pleading poverty yet find the money to pay for Christmas cards. It's very insensitive to be wasting money at a time when they're closing schools.

"It also wasn't particularly smart timing for Marilyne to be sending cards to the parents."

Labour group leader Councillor Andrew Burns, added: "I am sure that Marilyne MacLaren did it with good and honourable intentions, but it seems to me incredibly insensitive."

The electronic card was sent with a message which read: "Seasons Greetings from Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, Convener of Education". It also congratulates the card's designer, sixth-year pupil Rosa Howie, from Holy Rood RC High School.

A spokesman for the council said: "Cllr MacLaren sent a Christmas e-card to all parent councils before a decision was made on school closures regardless of whether a school was affected or not."