Rural Primary Schools (Argyll and Bute)

Parliamentary Question

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to prevent the closure of rural primary schools in Argyll and Bute. (S3O-11761)

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (Michael Russell): Argyll and Bute Council is responsible for decisions on school closures in its area, in accordance with legal requirements, and the democratically elected local councillors will be accountable for the decisions that they take. As members will be aware, the council has postponed its decision and has asked officers to complete further work on the proposals.

As the member knows, the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, which was proposed by this Government, establishes a presumption against the closure of rural schools by ensuring that a decision by a council to consult on a closure proposal is only a last resort. Argyll and Bute Council must, like all councils, follow the robust consultation process set out in that act, and if there is strong evidence that that has not been properly done, Scottish ministers will call in and could refuse consent to any closure decisions.

Jamie McGrigor: I am glad to hear that. Is the cabinet secretary aware of the anger felt by parents and communities throughout Argyll and Bute at the council's shocking plans to close 26 primary schools? Many of those people are already questioning the basis for the proposals and whether the council has genuinely explored all the other options before considering what should be the last resort of closure. Does he agree that rural primary schools such as Southend, Glenbarr, Barcaldine, Keills, Ulva, Luing and all the others are fundamental to the socioeconomic fabric of fragile rural and island communities and that government at all levels should be working to support them? Finally, will he assure local parents that he is doing so?

Michael Russell: I am very pleased that the 2010 act, which members unanimously supported, empowers parents in precisely these circumstances and that that empowerment is being assisted by other groups. I pay tribute to the Scottish National Party group on the council, which decided to press the other councillors for a delay, and I am glad that the councillors agreed to it. I praise the rural schools network on its information campaign, which has laid bare some of the arguments on the importance of providing information, and the website forargyll.com on its tremendous job in bringing together information. Most of all, I praise the communities themselves. They need to know about the rights, protections and defence that they have through the 2010 act, which, as I say, was introduced by this Administration. When any such proposals are made, they should be well-informed proposals of last resort. Even then, communities have substantial rights that they should know about, and I am taking steps to ensure that that information is available to every rural community in Scotland.