School closure protests spread across city

21/04/2009

NUT backing as Glasgow parents fight on against council plans

Protests over school closures in Glasgow have spread to other primary buildings.

Four parents staged a rooftop demonstration on Monday at Our Lady of the Assumption Primary in Maryhill over council plans to shut it down. Another school was closed yesterday after parents also occupied Victoria Primary in the city's south side, with some chaining themselves to railings.

The protests  follow a two-week Easter sit-in at Wyndford Primary and St Gregory's Primary, which finished on April 18.

The defiant protesters have also received backing from Europe's largest teaching union.

Two of the sit-in organisers, Donna McKenzie and Sharon Brown, spoke at last week’s National Union of Teachers (NUT) conference in Cardiff to wild applause.

McKenzie, who has two children at Wyndford in Glasgow’s Maryhill area, is one twenty parents taking it in turns to occupy the school gym. She received three standing ovations as she explained why parents had taken such drastic action to protect 25 schools and nurseries from expected closure.

“We told them we felt enough was enough and we had to stand up for ourselves,” she said. “They loved what we had to say and loads of teachers came up to us afterwards to say they had come just to hear us speak. I’ve never done anything like that, and speaking to hundreds of people was nerve-wracking. We’ve been made to feel like criminals by the council, but this made us feel like heroes.”

Despite the enthusiastic reaction from English and Welsh union delegates, the sit-in campaigners are disappointed they have received no support from the chief teaching union north of the border, the Education Institute of Scotland (EIS).

“It affects not just our kids and our community, but teachers jobs as well. They should get involved,” said McKenzie. “It’s a shame we’ve got this support from down south, but none from our own union.”

“We realise they’re in an awkward position,” added Wyndford campaigner Nikki Rathmill. “But if we had their help if would make for a stronger case.”

No-one from the EIS was available for comment. Thursday (April 23) looks like D-day for the under-threat schools in Glasgow. Council bosses meet to finalise which proposed mergers and closures will go ahead.

A council spokesman said the education committee had been due to meet before Easter, but the consultation period had been extended to six weeks to allow “everyone the chance to have their say.”