Education Secretary, Michael Russell MSP, has given us this statement in response to Argyll and Bute Council’s announcement yesterday, after the special meeting of the full council passed by acclaim the administration’s proposal to stop rather than suspend consultation on its school closure proposals.
Mr Russell says:
‘The decision by Argyll and Bute Council to halt their consultation process is a win-win scenario for parents and the council and I welcome the sensible approach that has been taken.
‘It is hugely to the credit of the local communities involved that they have fought so tenaciously for their schools and – through that very significant new organisation ARSN – have also brought mutual support and local self help to new heights. So much is now possible because of their courage and determination.
‘Community Empowerment is here to stay in Argyll and Bute and will have the SNPs enthusiastic support.
‘On a wider canvas it is now clear that the Scottish Government’s proposals on the way forward for rural education have now been welcomed by all sides of the Scottish Parliament and other local authorities including East Ayrshire and East Lothian have endorsed our approach.
‘It is entirely right that we stop and look at the issue Scotland-wide. I want to be fully engaged with COSLA, individual authorities and communities to make sure we are getting it absolutely right for school pupils in rural areas through the Commission on the Delivery of Rural Education. CoSLA have a key role to play in this and I look forward to an early discussion with them. I hope Argyll & Bute Council will also make a constructive contribution.’
The Education Secretary has formally recognised the ‘community empowerment’ that has been a marked feature of the twice defeat of the council on its twice bungled handling of its own intent to close schools.
This defeat has effectively been wrought by its own highly capable electorate:
- from members of the Argyll Rural Schools Network – who must not be seen to collaborate in any way with this discredited administration;
- to highly motivated parent councils showing resourcefulness and innovation at every turn;
- and fully supported by their host communities, fighting for a survival improbable should their schools be closed.
Very much to its credit and to conviction in a new future, Argyll will never be the same again.
Parents and communities – together – have discovered that where they are determined not to be hoodwinked, misled, patronised and abused, they can, without question, prevail. They have also discovered the real power they have in their votes and that too may signal, much for the better, a newly engaged Argyll.
Oddly, but, in the organic way of things, satisfactorily – this development is a major score for Argyll and Bute Council, its awfully backward current administration and its almost universally woeful senior officers.
Had this crew not put Argyll to the wall and kept it there by majority force, regardless of the damage caused to children, parents and communities now and in the future, the mild mannered Argyll would not have discovered its voice, its ability to resist and its power to make change.
The Education Secretary’s tribute to our empowered communities is a perceptive identification of the big change already brought about. The lid is off the box.
For Argylls analytic commentary on developments last week and this will come later today (15th June 2011)
Agreed, vigilance and caution, because as long as that gang remain in their lavish ivory tower ALL council services are under threat. Support for the disabled, as well as the schools falls under the remit of Sneddon. And community centres. Such was the graceless and bitter wording of their capitulation document I predict with confidence that they will try to exact revenge for their defeat by making us suffer in these areas, all under the guise of saving the money that they were prevented from saving by the failure of their policy to shut schools. We can’t relax, every word of every document they produce must be scrutinised – their capacity for generating bullshit would make a herd of overfed and incontinent cows look like total amateurs.
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