Bressay school closure agreed
Ryan Taylor
A meeting of the SIC’s full council took just five minutes today to decide the fate of the Bressay school.
Councillors unanimously backed recommendations from Monday’s education and families commitee to close the school, which has seen pupil numbers dwindle to just four.
Education chairwoman Vaila Wishart moved the recommendations that education in Bressay come to a halt. She said: “A lot of parents have voted with their feet, but the educational arguments were very strong from Children’s Services and Education Scotland.”
Jonathan Wills, who lives in the isle, voiced hope that the building would be retained within council control, to allow the school to re-open once Bressay is enjoying happier times.
“There is still a possibility of a tunnel, and if that were to happen that school could accommodate 60 pupils. It would be perfectly possible to use it as a third Lerwick school.”
Council solicitor Kirsten Johnston said the decision before councillors was about stopping provision of education.
“What happens to the building will be the subject of a future report on future discussions.”
More in Friday’s Shetland Times.
Johan Adamson
What if you surveyed parents, and asked would they return their bairns to Bressay if
a. There were breakfast and afternoon clubs allowing them to drop off and pick up bairns before and after work and the school could keep the bairns until you could pick them up, should anything bad happen to them or you (and you were working in Lerwick) and
b. Everyone else returned and
c. The smaller class size meant more individual attention
And they said yes, what would happen then?
Michael Grant
The possibility of a tunnel you say Johnathan,When is this going to happen i ask.And seeing i’m here,you could maybe also let us know what is happening with the new Sullom tugs.
Andy Holt
Turkeys voting for christmas. As for Dr John and the Bressay Tunnel/Bridge, well I guess the Toon Cooncil could just close down all the ferry services and country schools and we could all come and live in a shanty town on the outskirts of Lerwick and then he could afford it. The one consolation for me in all this is that none of them can ever claim to be anything but closet Tories ever again.
john n oakes
Odd how modernity removes the whole purpose of Island life. Would the better practice to encourage more people to move to the isle then improve communication links. I am sure people on Skye have similar predicament when the lost of the ferry to a road link. I can understand the drive to having tunnels or bridges is compelling for councils. But they miss the point of the young people will naturally move away for better life in Aberdeen.