Parents at Largue School have hit out after learning their kids’ school is to be mothballed.
The rural school, between Huntly and Turriff, currently has a school roll of nine. But parents feel Aberdeenshire Council is acting prematurely, as this is expected to more than double within five years.
Teachers were notified of the plans in a meeting yesterday at 4pm, with parents informed an hour later during an online meeting with head of education Vincent Docherty.
Parents had received a letter from the local authority last week, inviting them to a meeting “to discuss arrangements for the next school session at Largue School.”
‘The council aren’t looking at future years’
Parent council chairwoman Paula McRitchie told The Press & Journal: “We’re going to fight it.
“The council are not following their own procedures by looking at the forecast for the next three years. They’re not looking at future years.
“The school roll will be eight in August, which is the point when the council starts looking at mothballing. But thereafter, numbers aren’t going to decrease for the next three years.
“In fact, in the following years there will be 14, 17, and then within the next five years up to 22 pupils.
“These figures are based on actual families that live in Largue and the zoned area.”
‘Largue is thriving. Why not give us one more year?’
She added: “We’ve seen Largue thrive in the last five to 10 years with more and more children living here.
“We have an active toddler group which attends the school every Monday. These parents have not been considered or notified of this decision by Aberdeenshire Council.
“Why not just give us one more year? Mothballed schools are never reopened. I know the council say it’s a temporary measure, but they never reopen.”
Local councillor Gwyneth Petrie is fully supportive of the parent council’s views. She said she and other councillors had been left frustrated by policy changes which mean they are no longer involved in mothballing decisions.
Ms Petrie said: “I fully understand the hurt being felt by the school community at this news, and the impact they feel it will have on the pupils who attend Largue Primary.
“As an elected member, I was only made aware of this plan at 3.30pm on Tuesday, March 28.
“Unfortunately, the Tory-led administration agreed a policy change recently to remove any role elected members have in mothballing decisions. The SNP opposition group objected strongly at the time, but we were outvoted.
“This now means that such decisions can be taken by officers, and local councillors will have no input or ability to change the decision.”
Local councillor: ‘The roll is expected to rise – this is short-sighted’
She reiterated the parent council’s argument that with the school roll at Largue set to rise, the decision to mothball the school is a peculiar one.
“The situation at Largue is unlike other mothballed schools, as the roll is expected to rise across the next few years. I am therefore worried that this decision to mothball is short-sighted,” said Ms Petrie.
“While elected members cannot alter this decision, I am more than happy to help constituents raise any concerns they have, and receive answers to their questions from officers.”
A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said the council’s official stance is to consider schools for mothballing once the roll drops below eight. Largue will drop to seven in August, he said.
“Any decision to mothball a school is not taken lightly and it gives us the opportunity for it to re-open should circumstances change.
“We know that the educational and social benefits of having a sizeable group of peers to interact with are extensive. If we consider the children’s learning and social needs would be better met by being educated in a larger peer group, we decide to mothball the school.”
While a school is mothballed, the council will review its status and reconsider the decision before each school year.
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