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Howgate Primary School - Presentation 22 March 2004
Howgate Primary School points against closure for the Public Meeting 22/3/04, Number of points included 55.
- Why are we being rushed towards closure when similar proposals in the Borders have been accompanied by a year long consultation
period not 28 days. The consultation process on offer to us is to short, poorly planned and bias in the councils favour. Where's the fire?
- Why were none of the effected groups canvassed for their input to the Strategic Review process. By that I specifically mean
the parents, pupils, Local Community Councils the list goes on.
- Why are the mainstream Labour party advocating defence of the rural communities and way of life? Why is Scotland's First
minister advocating support for the rural communities and way of life? Why is it that Midlothian Council believes it knows
more about their party's direction than the party leaders?
- Why should it be that everyone except certain Scottish Local Councils works from the "presumption against closure of Rural
Schools" as contained in the DEFRA rural white paper of
- Why is Howgate to be closed without referral to the Executive? Why is the guidance in the Rural Affairs Committee report
not being followed?
- The proposal is bias. It only deals with points concerning 18 of the counties 42 Primary education establishments. The
whole estate should be included in the report to ensure that it actually reflects the state of Midlothian's Primary Education facilities
- The inference of the proposal document is that any building with a flat roof (irrespective of how small an area it covers)
is not suitable to the council. Why then are the primaries of Mauricewood, Cornbank and Cuiken for that matter not being considered
for closure?
- The information on which the director has drawn his conclusions is woefully out of date and surely the director would know what
has been spent by his department on any particular school, e.g. windows, doors, boiler, broadband etc etc.
- This is a Rural issue, why are our arguments being diluted by the inclusion of Urban issues
- We would like to know exactly which "curricular demands" Howgate Primary School will not or can not meet.
- Granted the school does not have a gymnasium. However this in no way detracts from the quality and variety of PE provided for the
schools pupils. Why is a gymnasium the be all and end all? Is table tennis, hockey, basketball, dancing, athletics, netball, cricket
and all the other sporting activities delivered at Howgate not sufficient?
- If the roof of the school is in such a terminal condition, why has this never been mentioned before? We can find no mention of it
in past surveys of the school and indeed it is not mentioned in any outstanding works order.
- The schools windows and doors are allegedly not fit for the purpose. How can this be when they were refurbished/replaced only
last year?
- What limits have been identified in relation to the provision of music classes at Howgate. We can't find any limits in fact
Howgate pioneered the introduction teaching of the clarsach.
- We can find no credible argument against Howgate's delivery of ICT. We have one computer for every three pupils and have now
got Broadband.
- No community use because MDC made it too expensive to use. Like many other School buildings in the county the cost of lets
has been increased by the council to such a level that they are simply too expensive for community groups. Such as the WRI,
Community Councils, Guides, Brownies etc.
- School roll always about16-20 and has been through out time. The surrounding area has seen no major development in the last
century and therefore no general increase in population.
- Howgate has bright, warm, friendly, inspirational facilities. Facilities that enhance the learning environment. How can it
be more beneficial for our children to be educated in a drab urban institution?
- Why is it that having given planning permission to Miller homes to more than double the size of Howgate the council proposes
to close the school? This is madness the opportunity exists for the school role to swell due to this significant development
- This is not about education neither is it about finance (Mr McKay's words). It is in actual fact about a building programme
run by accountants. How can the director justify sacrificing education in favour of a balance sheet?
- Why does the director feel the need to transport our children to the furthest away Primary school in Penicuik?
- "In School many results depend on teachers" There is no question about the outstanding attainment levels at Howgate. There is
however a question over the results for the urban Primaries. The director should address the urban problems before destroying the
only part of the education machine in this county that works.
- When is the director going to provide the parents with his evidence that two stream schools are the best option for our children?
- Much has been made of the fact that parents have the right to choose where their children are educated. Why are we being deprived
of this fundamental right?
- Why were the local people not consulted about these proposals? In particular the parents, pupils, Community Councils etc.
- Why does the director feel motivated to close more rural primary schools in one go than have been closed in the rest of the UK
last year?
- We are happy the kids are happy.
- they have more choice, more activities offered e.g. swimming before p5 clarsach,
- no problem with bulling, smoking or truancey
- Bussing to pe not a problem. Once a week for 8 weeks must be better than twice a day every day.
- We are all well educated people e.g. scientist, engineer, businessman. We know what is best for our kids.
- United Nations convention on the rights of the child "recognises the rights of children to have their views taken into
consideration when any major decisions are being made that affect their development and welfare." Scottish executive brochure
‘choosing a school'.
- "Changing schools can be unsettling for children and their education, so your decision requires careful thought" taken from the
Scottish executive brochure ‘choosing a school'. Moving children is obviously unsettling, but when nothing is essentially wrong with
their school it would be doubly upsetting.
- The council can refuse a placement at an other school "If your Childs education would suffer from a change of school". Closing
Howgate would do just that, exercise your authority don't close Howgate
- Jack McConnell striving to reduce class sizes. Proof that smaller classes must work or he would not be wasting time and money
doing so.
- Our school maintenance bill for last year was £131. How much for any of the other ‘modern' schools in Penicuik? Why not close
them if it's all about money, they cost more to maintain and run than we do.
- These plans fly in the face of the Pfizer Rural Areas Report which was applauded by Adam Montgomery. "In Midlothian the top
factors which contribute to quality of life include nature, woodland and open space and school education"
- These proposals are also contrary to the councils own published policies with regard to its treatment of Rural Dwellers.
- These proposals will effectively undo all of the work that the council has done to reduce class sizes in the county. Why?
- With the total lack of information concerning the building/refurbishment programme how can anyone truly determine the impact
that the proposals will have on our children. Education in a building site can't possibly be the preferred solution to Midlothian's
problems.
- The director can not offer the pupils of Howgate an alternative school that delivers an education equal to or better than the
one they are already receiving. Surely his intention to send the pupils to a school which his own report criticise is lunacy.
- We have yet to receive details of who in the local community was our representative during the formulation of your proposal.
- We await your response to the parent's requests for a meeting or meetings that specifically address the closure of the rural
schools.
- We await your response to the request that you provide the parents with details of what the council has done to publicise and
promote community use of Howgate School.
- What consideration has been given to utilising contributions from Miller homes to improve the perceived deficiencies of Howgate
Primary School?
- We also await delivery of the action plan for education relating to Cuiken Primary School and the advances that have been made
thus far.
- The delivery time scales given in the report are not achievable. The director admitted that some of these projects may still
be running in 2010! Surely it is more appropriate to build/refurbish the schools then demonstrate to everyone just how good they
are not just sell us a vision of what might be if your questionable plans fall into place.
- Before becoming leader of the Council Adam Montgomery assisted with the total refurbishment of Howgate Primary to bring it into
the 21st Century. By your admission we have already arrived.
- One size schools do not fit all this is acknowledged to be fact by Peter Peacock and everyone else who cares for our children's
education. What makes Mr McKay think that his preference is more appropriate?
- In the interest of open and fair consultation will the PTA be granted access to the school to have an independent survey conducted
of the buildings condition?
- We dispute Mr McKay's guarantee that if the closures go ahead then our children would only have to endure 15 minutes of travelling
time.
- If there was a real commitment to providing parents and children with choice there would be a service bus to and from the school
thereby enabling parents to access the rural education on offer at Howgate.
- We have not been provided with an agenda for this meeting. All communications have been via word of mouth. This can not be fair.
To keep everyone in the dark and drip feed us information is hardly open and honest consultation.
- Small / Rural schools
Despite your unsubstantiated claims large schools do not perform better than their smaller counterparts.
If schools have failed us, it's because they are too big, standardised, uniform and ridged. In fact there has been much evidence to
contradict your claims, small schools do perform significantly better than large schools. A recent study by Johnson et al (2002)
has confirmed that as reported in many previous studies, smaller size facilitates academic performance. The bottom line for schools
should be "What will raise test scores and standards". However despite the enormous evidence to the contrary it appears that councils
are actively supporting creation of ever-larger schools. Presumably this is based on the idea of "economies of scale". A policy
clearly accountant driven not educationally driven, so why claim otherwise?
Johnson, J.D., Howley, C.B. and Howley, A.A. (2002) Size, Excellence and Equity. Report by Ohio University, pp31.
- Rural White Paper
Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs) Local schools are at the heart of community activity in many rural
areas. We are developing innovative new ways of delivering high quality training and education in rural areas.
Only five rural schools closed between 2000 and 2002: there is a presumption against closure of rural schools and rural sites
of multi-sited schools.
We decided that our first inquiry into Defra's rural affairs remit would be on the delivery of education in rural areas.[2] In
December 2002, we therefore appointed a Sub-committee to carry out an inquiry within the following terms of reference:
"The Committee will examine the role played by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in addressing the
particular difficulties of meeting educational needs in rural areas. Amongst other matters it will look at:
- the structures and arrangements put in place by Defra to ensure that the needs of rural areas are taken into account in decisions
relating to schools made by the Department for Education and Skills and by local authorities; and the effectiveness of 'rural proofing'
education policy;
- more specifically, progress in implementing the provisions of the Rural White Paper relating to Supporting local schools; and
progress in ensuring that rural schools remain open and able to deliver high quality education; and
- what is best practice both in this country and abroad."[3]
In 1998 Stephen Byers (The school Standards Minister) pledged to put a halt to the tide of closures. He started that in the
future any proposed closure by a local education authority would be called in for scrutiny by the Secretary of State for Education.
Mr Byers stressed that the government recognised the importance of the school to the survival of a rural community as a whole.
"when a school closes, a village loses a vital focus…" He added that the rebuilding of rural communities was vital to the Britain
of the future. The survival of the village school would be key to that reconstruction. What has changed? Is it different in
Scotland and if so why the double standards?
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Last Updated : 07 August 2004
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