Consultation on the future of Fife schools is merely window dressing for closures, according to one SNP councillor.
Leven, Kennoway and Largo representative Ally Hunter said: ”You can dress it up with all the fancy words in the world, this is going to close schools.
”What we need to know is what schools are going to close and who they are going to consult about it.
”Since 2007, all Alex Rowley and the Labour Party have wanted is power. Now they have the power but unfortunately they get the responsibility with it.
“The huge responsibility they have is to the parents, pupils, communities and fellow councillors.”
Convinced there was already a hit list drawn up, he added: ”They know what communities are going to be effected and what they are saying is window dressing.
”We need to start talking and get honest answers. The school is a centre of power of any commmunity, and, if you take a school out of that by merger or closure, it changes a community.”
Mr Hunter, a dad of four, said parents would be starting to worry.
”We need to know. We recognise there are financial challenges ahead but at the same time schools are the centre of communities.”
Mr Hunter also queried what would happen to teaching staff if mergers or closures took place.
”Teachers and staff are the biggest cost will there be job losses?”
Meanwhile, the SNP’s education spokesman in Fife is urging the Labour administration not to turn the major consultation into a ”shambles”.
Following Thursday’s announcement that Fife Council would have to make tough choices to close a £70 million funding gap, Rosyth councillor Douglas Chapman hoped the controversial debate would not go the same way as last week’s proposals to impose parking charges at Fife’s main railway stations and park and ride facilities.
Those proposals were referred back from the executive committee to the policy advisory group and put out to consultation.
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That prompted Mr Chapman to say: ”We have seen in recent days how the Labour administration has got itself into real shambles over their plans to introduce car parking charges at railway stations and, within hours of the papers being made public, have had to commit to a U-turn on the issue.
”We don’t want a repeated shambles when it comes to their school closure programme being implemented.”
The councillor added the opposition would be looking to see how the Labour administration intended to engage with other political parties, communities, parents and pupils when their plans were released.
”We hope that in the first instance that Labour’s school closure programme, and its budget and community implications, are discussed by the specialist group, the policy advisory group, set up under the new administration before any decisions are pushed through by the Labour party-dominated executive committee.
”When considering the closure programme, we will also be holding Labour to the commitment agreed between the Scottish Government and COSLA, which advises councils not to proceed with closures to rural schools until the Sutherland Commission has reported on its recommendations.
”We expect Fife Council to respect that agreement and that in itself will protect many small rural schools across Fife from closure or threat of closure for the time being,” he said.
That was echoed by Cupar councillor Karen Marjoram, who said she felt all councillors in Fife, including those who do not have schools classed as rural schools in their wards, should delay any final decisions on closing, merging, or changing the set-up until the commission on the delivery of rural education has completed its report, which is expected early next year.
”This report may give good guidance and help inform any decisions made within Fife, in particular, North East Fife which has many small village and rural schools,” she said.
”We must not lose sight of the fact that rural education has a role to play in the preservation, support and development of rural communities.”
The impact on North-East Fife has also concerned MSP Roderick Campbell.
”The proposal by Fife Council that could see schools in North-East Fife close is concerning,” he told The Courier.
”I firmly believe that the closure of a school should absolutely be regarded as a last resort.”
In Dunfermline, Central SNP councillor Neale Hanvey said this was another example of ”complete contradiction from the promises Labour made in their manifesto”.
”What happened to the alternatives to cuts and charges they claimed to have? They clearly have no alternatives to cutting services or introducing stealth taxes.
”The uncertainly, pressure and fear they are creating for families is absolutely terrible.”
Council leader Alex Rowley responded: ”We are not consulting on the closure of rural schools, or any schools, at this point.
”I have asked for a discussion paper providing recommendations for ensuring that Fife’s school provision is efficient, effective and sustainable.
”While this may, at some point, lead to formal consultation, it will be carried out in accordance with the Act and take account of the outcome of the Sutherland Commission.
”Rather than blowing hot air, I do hope these SNP councillors will join us and focus on ensuring the resources we do have are targeted on teachers and the education of every child in every community.”