FURY OVER SCHOOL BLUNDER

Published 19 Aug 2009 17:35 0 Comments

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ANGRY parents have called a public meeting with council chiefs demanding to know why their children's education has been changed without consulting them.

Kids at Inchinnan Primary will now have more classmates than normal after a decision was made to form composite classes.

Furious dad David Connell, 39, who has two children at the school, blasted: "The letter told us that on return to school every class, P1 through 7, would now be a composite classroom and went on to tell us what class our children would be in.

"It ended 'thanking us for our understanding' in this matter.

"How can any parent have any sort of understanding when we were not informed at any level?

"The most important thing about this whole sorry situation for all those parents involved is the education of our children."

More than 100 parents squashed into the Old Farmhouse in Erskine on Sunday and have since formed an action group to fight the decision.

An alternative solution parents have is to use the portable units which are currently lying empty at Park Mains High.

Local councillor Sam Mullin added: "Parents want an explanation to why this has happened and why they weren't given adequate notice.

"The elected councillors were kept in the dark too which led to chaos locally when people had no clue what was going to happen on Tuesday."

Raging parents gathered outside the school gates on Tuesday morning after dropping their kids off for their first day at school to discuss the situation.

Mum-of-two Jennifer Wilkes, 32, slammed: "If the building work is to take two weeks, why not keep the kids back for two weeks and make up the time later - that way we wouldn't have the issue of composite classes in the first place."

Dad Brian Thomson, 39, said: "It's been an underhand move - there were people looking round the building at the start of the summer holidays - so why were we not given any notice?"

Emma Clark, 28, added: "When we were shown round the school, we were told it was not big enough to accommodate composite classes and that would never happen.

"My partner was taught in a composite class through school and said it was not successful, so we're not happy that this has happened."

One mum moved her eldest daughter from Rashielea Primary in Erskine to Inchinnan specifically due to the smaller class sizes, and is now demanding answers from Renfrewshire Council.

Two different parents are even considering taking their children out of the school after hearing the news because they claim 'the standard of teaching is going to drop.'

A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: "We apologise to parents and children for the short notice of these changes which have had to be made due to unforeseen circumstances.

"Work taking place at the school over the summer holidays has revealed that one of the huts used as a classroom is beyond repair and can no longer be used.

"A new unit will be built in its place.

"However this work would not be able to be carried out during the school session without considerable disruption.

"We intimated in letters to parents that this would take place next summer, however in response to concerns from parents we are looking at the possibility of progressing the work more quickly.

"As the school currently has six classrooms available, six composite classes have been formed - the number of staff is not being changed."

Parents have called a meeting with headteacher Mrs McCluskey and education boss Robert Naylor tonight (Wednesday).

This article appeared in The Gazette 19 Aug 09

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