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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Council shelves school closures | Council shelves school closures |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Councillors in the Western Isles are to look at the future for all 40 schools in the islands after shelving plans to close 11 of them. | |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's education committee voted to defer an original cuts package. | |
| The council leadership rushed together a new compromise proposal for Monday night's meeting of the full council. | |
| It means a full review of all the council schools to be completed by March 2009. | |
| However, it also means the closure of the seven small secondary schools - Bayble, Sgoil nan Loch, Shawbost, Lionel, Back, Paible and Daliburgh - will also go out to consultation with decisions due on their future within the lifetime of the new administration. | |
| Council leaders will also to seek urgent consultation with Scottish ministers to discuss the way forward. | |
| However, Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop came in for criticism during the four-and-a-half hour debate. | However, Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop came in for criticism during the four-and-a-half hour debate. |
| The intervention of the SNP MSP, who wrote to councillors before the meeting, was described by one member as "extraordinary interference". | The intervention of the SNP MSP, who wrote to councillors before the meeting, was described by one member as "extraordinary interference". |
| The proposals to close four primary schools and all the islands' junior secondaries, where pupils get the first two years of secondary education, had angered parents and community leaders. | The proposals to close four primary schools and all the islands' junior secondaries, where pupils get the first two years of secondary education, had angered parents and community leaders. |
| A row broke out between councillors and Ms Hyslop after she learned of the proposals on a visit to Stornoway last week. | A row broke out between councillors and Ms Hyslop after she learned of the proposals on a visit to Stornoway last week. |
| Lack of cash | Lack of cash |
| The council's leadership had claimed that the new three-year national curriculum made the seven junior secondary schools redundant. | The council's leadership had claimed that the new three-year national curriculum made the seven junior secondary schools redundant. |
| That argument was rejected by the education secretary. | That argument was rejected by the education secretary. |
| However, council education chairwoman Morag Munro said the proposals were down to declining school rolls, a lack of cash to build new schools and deteriorating buildings. | However, council education chairwoman Morag Munro said the proposals were down to declining school rolls, a lack of cash to build new schools and deteriorating buildings. |
| The committee decided to defer a decision, seek talks with the Scottish Executive about money and the national curriculum, and to look at the viability of all the island schools. | The committee decided to defer a decision, seek talks with the Scottish Executive about money and the national curriculum, and to look at the viability of all the island schools. |
| Ms Munro said the decision was a bad day for education in the islands. | Ms Munro said the decision was a bad day for education in the islands. |