Save Our Schools Rally, Saturday 14th February, George Square 11.30am

The New Labour run City of Glasgow Council is facing a major revolt from working class communities following the recent announcement that up to 25 schools and nurseries could close in the city. 

There have been two noisy and colorful protests outside the city chambers already by parents angry at the plans as well as well attended public meetings across the city in areas like Ruchill and Wyndford whose schools face closure. Parents from both these areas chained themselves to railings outside the council meeting and vowed to fight the council and its plans.

Steven Purcell, Glasgow City Council leader has claimed that the schools concerned have falling roles and are in a state of disrepair.  The council claim that the savings made, £3.7 million in their estimation, will be ploughed back into the city’s education budget. However, protesting parents point out that the plans will simply lead to overcrowding in existing schools, bigger class sizes, children having to travel further to school as well as the problems related to kids from different areas attending the same school given some of the gang related problems that exist in the city. 

The council’s claim seem especially hollow given the news, released on the same day as the consultation to close the schools was announced, that property developers in the city will be given the same amount of council tax payers money, £3.7 million to “boost” existing development projects. Companies that have made huge profits during the property boom are to benefit from the package. On January 19^th, The Herald Newspaper reported that; 

“To finance its action plan, which is expected to be in place for at least three years, council officials want to dip into the city's £37m Better Glasgow Fund - normally reserved for regeneration projects, such as lighting, heritage buildings and greenspace initiatives - reallocating 10% in the first year, and up to 20% annually in the second and third year.”

 Solidarity Co-Convenor and retired teacher Rosemary Byrne has hit out at the proposals saying; 

“This is yet another example of how the neglect of school buildings over the past three decades of successive governments has led to council’s making these decisions based on finance rather than on the needs of our children.

Schools play vital roles in our communities many of which have seen the closure of youth and community centres, libraries and sports facilities.

Falling school roles give the council a perfect opportunity to implement a policy of smaller class sizes. The EIS, Scotland’s biggest teaching union, said recently in a briefing paper to MSP’s: “attainment correlates with student teacher ratios, a rough surrogate for class size; the worse the ratio the lower level of attainment…Large class sizes are not merely associated with lower attainment, they impact negatively on pupil behaviour, on pupil motivation, on pupil self image…” 

The same report quotes a London University study 

“…the message is clear: an association was found between class sizes and pupils’ attainment on standardised tests. Test scores for literacy decreased as class size increased…low achievers show the largest effects from being taught in small classes.” The lesson, the educational experts tell us, is simple and straightforward, reduce class sizes and every single school pupil will potentially benefit.” 

It is clear that the anger generated over the council’s proposals will not dissipate with plans for further demonstrations and actions being put in place. Solidarity will stand shoulder to shoulder to all those opposing these viscous cuts.