Wester Hailes Education Centre and Westburn Primary are two of the twenty-two schools that the new Council said they wanted to close.  And as I write, the Council’s present intentions are far from clear – their plans haven’t been thought out.

The lack of proper consultation and the absence of any real justification for closures astounded parents. 

At Wester Hailes Education Centre, parents, teachers and pupils are rightly proud of  their school and what they’ve achieved and I can see why when I visited the Centre again last week. 

WHEC is getting real results – a Quality Standard Award for enterprise sport and the arts, a Scottish Qualifications Authority Bronze Award and the Scottish Education Healthy Living Award.  I have spokes to students who told me about their ambitions to go to university next year.  Wester Hailes has helped to shape and encourage these young people so they can achieve their best.  And these successes are being recognised in the catchment area – this year there has been a rise in the intake of students to S1.

But of course, it’s not just about the school, the Centre is at the heart of the community providing services to all generations and embodying the spirit of life-long learning.  There’s the crèche, the Rainbow Under 5’s and adult education and recreation classes.  And of course, the superb indoor sports facilities include a full equipped gym, squash courts and a leisure pool.  The review seemed to show little understanding of the mutually dependant nature of the different aspects of the Centre and that each section of the Centre supports,  complements and needs the others – the school has excellent sports facilities because they are also available to the wider community and the adult art classes are delivered by school staff.  Without the school, there will be no staff to take adult classes and no Young Mums Centre.  Without adult classes and the Young Mums there would be limited demand for the crèche. 

Not only is it unclear how the Council intend to proceed in terms of the school closures but I have now read reports that they are considering cutting school budgets instead.

No one is arguing that there can never be any change in the provision of schools.  But what is asserted is that decisions need to be taken on the basis of what is best for education.  The Council’s administration have singularly failed to do that.