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Rural schools at risk

Rural schools in Scotland are at risk of becoming early victims of the cuts, the NASUWT has warned.

Argyll and Bute Council has announced proposals to close one third of its rural schools in a bid to save £15 million by 2014. If the plans go ahead, 26 of its 80 primary schools will shut, most of which have healthy pupil numbers and serve isolated communities.

In recent months, Perth and Kinross, Shetland, Western Isles, Highland and South Lanarkshire councils have all brought forward closure proposals and there are fears that more councils are set to follow.

Under the terms of new legislation brought in by the Scottish National Party (SNP) to protect rural schools, parents can appeal to ministers to review decisions by local authorities. However there is no guarantee that the decisions will be overturned on appeal.

Argyll and Bute Council said the proposals were the result of a comprehensive review that aimed to reduce its overall budget of £278m by 15%. Argyll and Bute is anticipating a budget shortfall of up to £13m each year for the next three years.

Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, urged councillors to consider the consequences of closing viable rural schools. She said: “Rural schools make up 41% of Scottish primaries and 23% of secondaries and are therefore a major part of education provision in Scotland.

“It is critical that rural schools do not become casualties of the wider economic problems that local authorities are experiencing.

“Closing rural schools is a very short-term view and takes no account of future population rises.

“For the local population, any proposal to close a school feels like tearing the heart out of the community and it is vital that all concerns are listened to and taken seriously.

“It is important that such serious decisions are taken on the basis of viability and on educational and community needs and not on the basis of short-term financial savings.”

A final decision is expected in spring 2011.

The NASUWT is equally concerned about the position of small and rural schools right across the UK.

The Union will be ensuring that these issues are profiled specifically in our campaign on schools funding and the cuts.


Local Treasurers’ Conference

Supporting members and fighting the effects of the Coalition Government’s cuts were top of the agenda at the NASUWT’s recent Local Treasurers’ Conference.

Over 60 NASUWT local Treasurers attended to hear National Treasurer Brian Cookson urge all Local Associations to ready themselves to take action to protect the jobs, pay and working conditions of members in their areas.

The Conference, which was held at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, had a strongly interactive focus, and many of the suggestions and ideas made by delegates will be used to inform the training programme for local Treasurers.

Mr Cookson emphasised the very important role of Treasurers in working with their local officers to ensure that Local Associations and Federations plan strategically to strengthen and support membership.

Mr Cookson said: “We are facing unprecedented uncertainty and challenges in protecting and defending the jobs, pay and working conditions of our members.

“As a union, we need to ensure we are making the best and most effective use of our resources at both national and local level to ensure that every NASUWT member receives the benefits of being part of the UK’s largest and best teachers’ union.”


A better way to work

Union members are being encouraged to use their teaching skills to raise awareness of the importance of unions among young people.

The TUC has developed a set of educational resources to help young people learn about employment rights and workplace issues.

A Better Way to Work is designed to be used with Key Stage 4 students and is divided into five units dealing with the role of unions, rights and responsibilities, equal opportunities, health and safety and the future of work.

The resource is particularly useful to prepare students going on work experience, starting apprenticeships or considering their post-16 options.

The resources and accompanying teachers’ notes can be downloaded from the TUC website at: http://tinyurl.com/35bajzy.

A version of A Better Way to Work translated into Welsh is also available from the TUC website.

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