Anger over school closure plans

The closure plans will be discussed at a special committee meeting on Monday

Four primary schools are likely to close under plans drawn up by North Lanarkshire Council.

The move would save the local authority almost £1m annually, but is expected to spark community protests and cause splits in the local Labour party.

The schools under threat are Belvidere Primary, Bellshill, St Francis of Assisi, Cumbernauld, St Matthew's in Wishaw, and Gartsherrie in Coatbridge.

The proposals will be discussed at an emergency meeting next week.

The council has cited the schools' falling rolls and the state of some of the accommodation as reasons for the closures.

It emerged last month that the local authority faced a budget shortfall of £60m over the next three years.

Some councillors from the ruling Labour group have expressed opposition to the school proposals.

We are heating entire buildings and providing care-taking for entire buildings with some of our schools more than 50% under capacity Cllr Jim Logue

But Councillor Jim Logue, chair of the council's learning and leisure committee, said the proposals were based on the need for rationalisation.

He told the BBC Scotland news website: "In terms of primary schools in North Lanarkshire we have about 8,500 surplus places. That means empty seats and empty classrooms

"We have a situation where we are heating entire buildings and providing care-taking for entire buildings with some of our schools more than 50% under capacity. That is simply not tenable.

"If we have two schools near each other both operating under-capacity does it not make sense to close one, from both a financial perspective and an educational one?"

Composite classes

He added: "In some of our schools we have treble composite classes because of the small roll.

"A five-year-old is sitting in a composite class for primary one, primary two and primary three.

"Parents don't like composite classes, and they are right not to like them, but unless we address the issue of under-capacity then this will continue."

Reports which will go before councillors next week show St Matthews is operating at just 33% of its capacity and Belvidere Primary at 39%.

The SNP group is not going to support a move that would see schools amalgamated and pupils crammed into large classes Cllr Tom Johnston

Councillor Tom Johnston, the local SNP party's spokesman on learning and leisure, said: "An education officer attended our group meeting last night to brief us on the plans.

"We will await the outcome of the consultation process but currently we are not convinced of the need to close any of these schools.

"We will examine very closely the impact any proposed closure could have on classroom accommodation and the ability to move towards Scottish government targets of class sizes of under 18 in primaries 1-3.

"We have asked for a detailed breakdown of the figures on school rolls, capacity and spare classrooms."

He added: "The SNP group is not going to support a move that would see schools amalgamated and pupils crammed into large classes.

"We are also concerned about the impact these closure plans would have on distinct local communities and the problems of bussing for children."

Councillor Logue added: "This is an ongoing consultation.

"We have not agreed to close anything at the moment.

"I recognise that closing schools generates a lot of concern but in the past when we have done this parents have come back to us and said they are happier and their children are getting on better as a result."