News / Isles shocked by schools decision
THE SCOTTISH government have left two island communities in Shetland in a state of shock after deciding only one of two primary schools threatened with closure can stay open.
Education secretary Mike Russell told Shetland Islands Council on Wednesday that their decision in May to close the Burravoe primary on Yell was “flawed” and could not go ahead “as things currently stand”.
However he said the council had fulfilled its statutory obligations when councillors voted to close Uyeasound on neighbouring Unst, despite the primary having the best inspection report in the country.
The school will now close on 21 December and the 11 pupils will be transferred to the primary department at Baltasound junior high school, saving the authority an estimated £100,000 a year.
Uyeasound parents council chairman Derek Jamieson said that one local had already indicated they would probably be leaving the island as a result and more might follow.
“The community is devastated. This is the finest primary school in Scotland and yet the minister does not think it would be detrimental for the children to go to another school,” Mr Jamieson said.
“I seriously question how the council will demonstrate the educational benefit, which they will have to do. Whether it will save money, which is why they are doing this, is also open to question.”
Burravoe parent council chairman Steven Brown could not hide his delight at the news, but admitted that they would probably be fighting against closure again in the near future.
Mr Brown said he believed one of the reasons ministers had decided to keep Burravoe school open was because the primary department at Mid Yell, where the 11 pupils would be sent, received a poor report during the summer.
He said: “I have no doubt this will rear its head in two years time or less, but in the meantime I have to say on behalf of the parent council we are delighted with the result for Burravoe.
“We just can’t believe how Uyeasound has been treated differently because the Baltasound report wasn’t just any great shakes compared to the Uyeasound report, which was the best in Scotland.”
SIC head of children and families Helen Budge admitted that this had been a very unsettled time for the parents and pupils in the two primary schools, but now they would be concentrating on the transition for the Uyeasound pupils.
The council will have to provide annual reports to ministers demonstrating how the Unst children’s education is benefitting from the change.
“Of course we will be keeping a close eye on this and making sure that the educational benefits are met and we have a quality assurance team in place,” Mrs Budge said.
She added that the department would have to look at other ways to save the £100,000 saving expected from closing Burravoe.
The council has already closed the junior high school in Scalloway and transferred its 116 pupils to Lerwick’s Anderson High School, however they voted to retain the tiny secondary department on the isles of Out Skerries as well as the primary schools in Sandness and North Roe.
The council is trying to save £26 million from its revenue budget over the next two years.
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