The campaign to save Largue School has snowballed, as locals desperately try to keep the ‘lifeline’ school from the council chopping block.
Parents were stunned last month after learning that the small rural school, which currently has a roll of nine pupils, is to be mothballed.
They leapt into action immediately, setting up the Save Largue School campaign and a petition which now has more than 1,200 signatures.
The group feels Aberdeenshire Council has acted prematurely, with the school roll expected to more than double within five years.
The council took the decision to mothball Largue when the forecasted school roll for 2023/24 dropped to eight, the point at which local authorities can consider mothballing.
Largue School roll expected to double within five years
However, the parent council says that from 2024/25, there will be 14, 17, and then within five years up to 22 pupils.
Chairwoman Paula McRitchie said these figures are based on families living in Largue who have said they will be sending their kids to Largue School.
Her two children are both able to walk to school each morning, but that is set to change, with the nearest schools between four and six miles away.
Parents face choosing between resettling their kids at Forgue, Drumblade or Auchterless schools. All of which involve a commute by car or bus.
“A lot of people purposely move to Largue because there’s a school there,” said Paula. “Some families are now on their third generation at the school.”
Parents tell P&J of shock and anger
The P&J visited Largue to hear the views of parents at the school gates.
They spoke of their shock and anger at the decision, and again accused the council of not following their own protocol, given the expected rise in pupil numbers in coming years.
Many felt cost-cutting was behind the move to mothball the school.
Sarah Ingram said: “It will affect us massively. My daughter’s very upset about the situation.
“She knows everyone here, so she’s just wondering where she’s got to go to school if she’s not allowed to go here.
“They’re not thinking about the children. If they saw the children here, they’d see how well they’re doing.
“It definitely seems to be more about money than anything.”
‘Council needs to think about mental wellbeing of country communities’
Kara Dey, whose son goes to the school’s nursery, said: “It’s really come as a shock. We don’t really know what our plans are now.
“My son was going to be starting with six other boys at the same time, who all know each other. It was going to be ideal, in such a great, small, friendly learning environment.
“The council needs to think about what they’re doing to the mental wellbeing of young kids in country communities. There’s a lot to be said for these sorts of communities.”
And Linda Whyte added: “It’s shocking, I don’t like it, it feels bad for my kids.
“It’s going to affect us quite badly with having to travel to take the kids to school.
“It would be appreciated if the council could take into consideration that the school roll is expected to rise before jumping the gun. It’s not very fair on the little schools.
“It’s away to thrive with more kids – I’ve got twin boys who are due to start school after summer.”
Stuart Shearer added: “It’s not a very good decision. There’s a lot of houses here that could support the school.”
‘Council just has a plan to close small schools’
Abi Ashton’s daughter started at Largue School on Monday, which she says brings the school roll up to 10 pupils.
“She’s going to be so upset, she was really excited to go to the school here,” said Abi. “She really wanted to go to a smaller school.
“The school is necessary to the area, there’s definitely a community here that needs the school.
“It’s not good for the children in the area if their families are having to travel further to take them to school.
“With pupil numbers due to go up, it feels like the council just has a plan to close small schools.
“And that’s what they’re doing, regardless of how many kids are actually at the school. It’s just awful.”
Council says decision ‘not taken lightly’
A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council 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.”
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