Castlebay School Row Goes On

19 March, 2010 - 10:25 — admin

Castlebay School Row Goes On

Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar’s Education and Children’s services personnel were kept busy on Wednesday with three meetings in a row in Barra to try to deal with the ongoing parental and pupil concerns following from the recent Her Majesty’s Inspectorate Education (HMIE) report for Castlebay School.
 
A meeting with parents of pre School pupils to give equitable access to both Gaelic and English pre school education for all children entitled to such education, appears to have gone over old ground yet again. Limited space in the Croileagan this year has resulted in a two tier provision of pre school education for 2 1/2 and 3 year olds who will all be entering primary one at the same time! Bernard Chisholm and Patricia White were asked, yet again, to take on board parental concerns and reach a solution acceptable to all parents. The proposal put forward by parents was that there should be two Gaelic and one English morning sessions and that a bi-lingual session be held in the afternoons. This is to be considered by the Comhairle with a response back to parents by May 2010. Let’s face it, the problem of having too many children for pre- school provision is not one that is too common in the Western Isles in 2010.
 
Pupils in Castlebay School then had a meeting with CNES to express their concern at the lack of secondary teachers in their chosen subjects at this critical time leading up to S4 S5 and S6 exams. They were also extremely irritated by the measures taken by CNES to prevent them from contributing their views to the ongoing on line discussion.
 
Finally Bernard Chisholm and Patricia White met with parents and Castlebay School Parent Council. The Parent council have issued the following press release after this meeting at which there was a unanimous show of hands for a vote of no confidence in Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Education Department.
 
“Members of the Parent Council and Parent Forum of Castlebay Community School met the Head of Schools and Resources on Wednesday 17 March 2010 at the school to discuss the response by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to the third HMIe report.  The Parent Council is aware that since the first HMIe report the school has rarely been a topic of discussion for the Education and Children's Services Committee, so the proposal that the Head of Schools and Resources reports quarterly to the committee on the school's progress is warmly welcomed.”
 
The Parent Council looks forward to the action plan which the Comhairle has had three months to redevelop from the inspection until the report's publication.  However, there are serious concerns about the commitment and capacity of CnES to ensure that the next HMIe inspection is the last.  For some of the pupils this will be their eighth inspection during the 11 years of their education in schools managed by CnES.  These concerns stem from whether additional resources will be made available, so that the teachers and managers of the school are not removed from their primary duties.  Additionally, the English department staffing issue needs to be resolved with a permanent solution.
 
It is hoped that the Comhairle is open to the proposal that another Local Authority is brought in to assist with the challenges ahead.  The Parent Council does not believe that simply doing more of the same will resolve the issues; the Comhairle does not have a successful track record.
 
The Parent Council appreciates the pupils' contribution to the debate but does not condone the alleged blogging by pupils during class time, or the proposed walk-out by the pupils.  It understands their frustration as they cannot afford any delay.” Castlebay School Parent Council.
 
The Parent Council would advise pupils to contact Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People in relation to their concerns.