MacKenzie wants moratorium

HIGHLANDS and Islands list MSP Mike MacKenzie has called for a five-year moratorium on “irretrievably blighted” school closures in Shetland.  

The SNP politician said during a visit to Shetland at the weekend that he would seek for any closure decisions to be called in by education minister Mike Russell.

He welcomed today’s vote by the SIC education and families committee to keep primary schools in Urafirth and North Roe open – a decision which will be re-examined at Wednesday’s Full Council meeting.

But after meeting Education Scotland officials on Tuesday, MacKenzie said there should be a moratorium “at least” until the new Anderson High School is completed.

It follows the imposition of a five year moratorium by councillors in Moray in what he described as “similar circumstances” yesterday.

SIC political leader Gary Robinson has warned the council needs to cut education spending by over £4 million a year between now and 2020.

The council will resume attempts to overhaul secondary education in 2015, but MacKenzie claimed Education Scotland officials said the curriculum for excellence was “sufficiently flexible to be compatible with Shetland’s current model for education”.

He said the SIC “cannot blame or hide behind Education Scotland” and continued: “I have examined the proposals from a financial and economic perspective as well as from an educational perspective and along with many concerned parents can find little merit in the proposals.”

MacKenzie attacked the local authority’s handling of consultations, asserting the proposed closures had been “so badly handled as to be irretrievably blighted”.

He added: “The council urgently needs to offer an olive branch to communities and now must begin the process of rebuilding trust. Only then would it be possible to have sensible discussions with parents, children and everyone affected by any changes to Shetland’s education system.

“Moray councillors have yesterday shown they have the courage and common sense to impose a five year moratorium on school closures in similar circumstances. Shetland’s councillors could and should now do the same.”

Meanwhile, the SIC’s plans to either cut or remove secondary education from island junior highs are the subject of a full-page feature in Tuesday’s Education Guardian. 

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