Glasgow Save our Schools Campaign
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Protest rally on Thursday 6th April at George Square
Biggest event yet
Arrangements have been made to hold our protest rally
on Thursday 6th April at George Square. We intend to
walk around the streets on the perimeter of George
Square 2 or 3 times, then congregate and occupy either
the City Chambers, or Wheatley House. This will
hopefully get us some publicity and show Ronnie
O'Connor and all of Glasgows Councillors that we are
still here and still protesting!
As it is the Easter Holidays, the children could come
along too. Obviously it is down to the individaul
whether or not they want their child/ren involved, but
I personally will be bringing along my 3 daughters. I
am after all, fighting on their behalf!
We will meet at 11.30 in George Square and move off at
12 noon. We need as many people as possible to attend
this rally. It is perhaps the most important protest
rally yet, as it is a city-wide united front!
Please inform and invite as many people as you can,
and it would also be a good idea for each of us to
invite along our local newspapers. Banners and
suchlike with your schools name on them would also be
really good.
I have informed the Police that there will be about
100-150 people attending this rally, so please do your
best to be there!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact
me on 0792 114 8219 or e-mail me at
pauline@gilgallon.demon.co.uk
Thanks,
See you on Thursday!
Pauline G :o)
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Tuesday, March 21, 2006
EducationGuardian.co.uk | eG weekly | Fourteen into three won't go
Monday, March 13, 2006
Mothers Know Better than Education Bosses - Whats good for their kids
Evening times story on sit in PARENTS from three Glasgow primaries targeted for closure are holding a sit-in for up to three nights in a last-ditch attempt to keep the schools open. More than 50 mothers and fathers whose children attend Carnwadric in the south side, St Edmund's in Pollok, and Dowanhill Primary in the west end are occupying all three buildings over the weekend. They arrived yesterday afternoon as the bell rang to finish lessons. Carnwadric parents intend to stay for three nights whilst the others will spend part of the weekend there. The sit-ins are being staged by campaigners of Save Our Schools, who are fighting Glasgow City Council's decision to close the schools under its pre-12 education strategy. Pauline Gilgallon, a mother-of-three and chairwoman of Carnwadric Primary School Board and leader of the SOS campaign, said: "We hope to be there until Monday morning to raise awareness. "Even though Glasgow City Council has rubber-stamped the proposals, we have found so many flaws in the council's consultation. "Nobody here with children at Carnwadric Primary wanted to move, yet the council went full steam ahead with it." In the west end, up to a dozen mothers occupied Dowanhill Primary in Havelock Street, waving Save Dowanhill banners as they took over the school. Among them was Heather Anderson, whose daughter Christina, 7, is at the school, while four-year-old son Calum attends the nursery. She said: "Perhaps a lot of parents think we are at the end of the road and the school will close, but we hope parents realise it is not the end."
Education bosses want to shut Dowanhill, along with Hillhead, Kelvinhaugh and Willowbank primaries and Dowanhill and Willows nurseries, and merge them at a new Hillhead Primary, to be built in Otago Street.
In the south side, it plans to merge Carnwadric with Arden Primary at a new building in Arden. bbbbbb In Pollok, the council wants to close St Edmund's and merge it with St Marnock's. However, this would mean youngsters would have to cross a busy road, which parents claim is too dangerous a route for kids to walk.
The parents were also furious when it was revealed StEdmund's would not close this year but, instead, would house pupils from Cartvale, Govan's special needs school, for two years.
Now at least seven schools, including St Kevin's Primary in Langmuir Road, Bargeddie, which is also due to close, have joined the Save Our Schools campaign.
St Kevin's, just outside the city boundary and run by North Lanarkshire Council, was also due to be occupied by parents this weekend. But the sit-in was cancelled because of increased security. bbbbb Parents said the high police presence around the school was terrifying children. bbbbbbb A council spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the sit-ins. The decisions on the future of these schools was decided at the education services committee meeting on February 2 and was agreed by councillors following a full public consultation."
Protesters from St Edmund's have handed a petition to the Scottish Parliament calling for an inquiry into the council's consultation process. bbbbbbb To coincide with the next meeting of the petitions committee on April 19, busloads of parents are to travel to Edinburgh and stage a protest outside the parliament.
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Carnwadric -sit- in
Hats off to the parents too of St. Edmunds who were occupying their school from Friday 3pm right up until 9am this morning
Pauline here from Carnwadric. There was 7 of us at the sit-in at Carnwadric, and we had a brilliant time! Debbi brought in her karaoke machine and being in the gym hall, the acoustics were great, ha ha! :o) Unfortunately the (80!) parents in Bargeddie couldn't do their sit-in because their was a heavy Police and Security presence, (North Lanarkshire Council! Duh!?), and they couldn't get in, but Catriona Lessani from Bargeddies campaign came to Carnwadric on Friday night to show her support, so thanks for that Catriona!
We had Jackie Kemp (freelance journalist), come to the school and photographer Tom Finnie from the Guardian newspaper took some fantastic pictures in the gym with us and the kids. He also took some brilliant pics of the kids behind the bars of the school gate. It will be featured in the Guardian a week tomorrow,(Tuesday 21st) I think. Tom also said he knew a few other journos who might be interested in the campaign, so watch this space!
Hats off to the parents too of St. Edmunds who were occupying their school from Friday 3pm right up until 9am this morning! I'm sure it was hard going but I admire their staying power! Haven't spoken with Susan yet, as I'm sure she is catching up on some much needed shut-eye! But well done to everyone involved at St. Edmunds. You should be dead proud of yourselves!.
I saw the coverage in Saturday E.T and it was great. Loved the quote from Heather saying, "Perhaps a lot of parents think we are at the end of the road and the school will close, but we hope parents realise it is not the end". Hopefully, some parents will read this and indeed see there is still a great deal we can do. I know we all have experienced the "It's a done deal, isn't it?" or "Why are you bothering? It's a waste of time!" remarks. Maybe Heathers comment might make them think again.
I also couldn't get the papers report on-line, sorry Anthea!
On closing, I just want to say again, well done everyone! A job well done!
Speak soon.....
Pauline G
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Friday, March 03, 2006
BREAKING NEWS
BREAKING NEWS WITH REGARDS TO GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL PRE-12 STRATEGY PROPOSAL.
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It's Pauline Gilgallon here. I am just this minute off the phone with Susan Green from St. Edmunds in Pollok. Susan has just discovered that Ronnie O'Connor intends on moving the children from St. Edmunds in order NOT to build new houses, as was first thought, but actually to transfer a whole other school in Govan into the existing school building. A school for children who have been expelled from all other schools in Glasgow. This is written in the pre-12 strategy proposal! This is concrete proof, at last, that Ronnie O'Connor and his so called Consultation Process has been a sham from the very beginning. Susan intends to forward this information to the petitions committee at Holyrood as soon as possible. This cannot be ignored, and I feel will lead to the consultation process as a whole, being investigated thoroughly, possibly even being thrown out, which obviously will benefit every school in Glasgow.
Please, if you can, come along to meet with myself, Susan, and a few others from schools city-wide to discuss where we go from here, TOGETHER. We will be meeting at Greggs the bakers, George Square, at 10am on Monday (6th March)morning. From here we will go to a cafe or a pub, whatever, to finally get together and discuss the best way to carry on our protest as a group. There is so much going on for each of us individually, we need to meet and do this as one body, not scattered throughout the city. Strength in numbers!
Carnwadric parents have already raised enough money to hire a coach to take 50 people to Holyrood on the day the petitions committee meet. Let me know if you want to come along, and we will arrange to pick you up.
THIS CAMPAIGN IS GETTING STRONGER EVERY DAY. WE JUST NEED TO KEEP PUSHING FORWARD, AND WE WILL GROW STRONGER AS A GROUP REPRESENTING THE WHOLE CITY.
Thanks,
Pauline Gilgallon Read more!
