Parents lose fight to save two Edinburgh nurseries

PARENTS and education experts have failed in a last-ditch bid to save two nurseries in the Capital.

Councillors have agreed to close the High School Yards nursery, off the Cowgate, and Princess Elizabeth, Prestonfield, despite admitting that both are good nurseries.

The decision follows a review of the city's 16 standalone nursery schools. The sale of the two buildings is expected to bring in around 250,000, while another 200,000 is expected to be saved every year from closing them down.

The decision came despite widespread concern about the closure of nurseries, which had been given "excellent" and "very good" ratings by the Care Commission. Professor Colwyn Trevarthen from Edinburgh University, one of Scotland's foremost experts on early years education, was among those to make a late plea to save the centres.

He said: "There is excellent research evidence, from the UK and elsewhere, that small stand alone services that work closely with the local families and the community give the best start for under fives and the best success in later schooling.

"These two schools are inheritors of a centuries-old tradition of early education in Scotland that is world-renowned.

"These high quality nursery schools should not be developed as an inspiration and training base for local services to children and families throughout Scotland."

Parents had campaigned against the recommendations of council officials that the two facilities should be axed and had held two protest marches, including one outside the City Chambers yesterday, before the decision was made.

Jacque Swartz, secretary of the parents and workers' association at High School Yards, said: "This is an important social resource that will be lost. It is a standard bearer in early years education."

He said that all 26 places were taken up at the nursery - with another four children including his own son on a waiting list.

He also refuted the council's estimated savings. "Our understanding is that the redeployment of salary will be a reallocation of costs.

"That is not a saving; nobody is losing their job as a result of this so there is no saving to be made."

Labour councillor Angela Blacklock, who called for alternative ways of making the savings to be found, said: "This is an attack on nursery education in Edinburgh and the education of children will suffer as a result."

Labour and Green councillors both voted to stop the closures but were defeated by the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and SNP councillors, who all voted for closure.

Children from High School Yards will be offered places at Royal Mile Primary School nursery class and at St Leonard's Nursery School.

Children from Princess Elizabeth Nursery will be offered places at Cameron House Nursery School and Prestonfield Primary School nursery class.

But parents can apply for their children to attend any nursery in the city.

Education leader Marilyne MacLaren admitted that the nurseries were "good facilities" but said that they were "small and expensive to run".

She said: "The driving need to make financial savings means we need to look at rationalisation and how we can release money so we can invest money in early years education."

She added: "I do not believe that children will be disadvantaged by this move. It will release money and, most importantly, we will be able to reinvest that in early years education."

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