Education committee votes to close Skerries

THE SIC’S educational and families committee has backed plans to shut the secondary department of Skerries School on the casting vote of chairwoman Vaila Wishart.

Votes were tied at 5-5 following almost two hours’ debate in Lerwick Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon. That came after one of the committee’s religious representatives, Radina McKay, said she would not be exercising her right to vote after being asked not to by councillors.

McKay had indicated she would have supported Gary Cleaver’s motion to maintain an S1-S2 secondary department if she had voted. Other members of the committee stressed it was not council policy to discourage the committee’s religious representatives from voting.

Wishart’s amendment, carried by the narrowest of margins, would see secondary pupils from Skerries transferred to the Anderson High School from August 2014. Pupils would stay at the hostel in Lerwick through the week, returning home at weekends.

Everything could change in less than 24 hours, however, as the Full Council meets to deliver its verdict on the planned closure.

More to follow