Glasgow Save our Schools Campaign
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Systemic banking education Yep learning tried and tested schooling from our friends across the pond
Read more!
Read more!
Friday, December 08, 2006
Power to the pupils - Evening Times
Save Our Schools protesters accuse city council - The Herald
Monday, December 04, 2006
Save Dowanhill School
Click image for bigger image
So come along at 3 on thursday 7th at Dowanhill and 6.30 on Monday 11th at Hillhead High - bring bannersand placards the more visible and colourful we are the more likely the media are to print a picture, and therefore the more likely people in the community are to become aware that the fight is not over.
Other questions to ask at the meeting along with your own:
1. Has the air quality been tested at the junction of University Avenue/Gibson Street/Bank Street? (It hasn't and there are serious concerns here so make sure you get an undertaking to test it before any further discussion of the site goes ahead).
2. Do they know that they cannot encroach on the A listed Kelvingrove PArk? What are their plans?
3. What are they proposing for parents' cars (entry and exit)
4. What do they intend to do to guarantee the safety of children from the other side of the park? e.g. children who are late for school children who would normally get themselves to school.What are they proposing for this. J. (More details click link...)
Hi all This is a longish email but there's a bit of updating to be done, and info about action, so please bear with it. Most of you will know I think that historic Scotland decided to 'C' list Dowanhill Primary School -thanks to a campaigner from this list getting in touch with them as far as I know - thanks Eleanor! The council are very much trying to play this down by pushing the fact that it's the 'lowest' listing abuilding can get etc etc, but it's actually a key development.'C' listing means a place is of outstanding local interest and must be protected -not completely, but facade etc - anything that is done has to be done sympathetically to the original building.
Anyway, it occurred to some of us that this could have major implications for the use of the Dowanhill site for the new Notre Dame School, and by extension for the whole of proposals J and K.
The full capacity of Dowanhill that was stated in the original proposal J document was 337 - 227 for the primary school, 40 for the nursery, and 70 for the bilingual unit. The expected roll for the new Notre Dame is well over 400 (it varies year to year - and doesn't appear to include the nursery children from Anderson street nursery school), so this obviously means that the Dowanhill building as it stands could not accommodate all these children. Depending on what can be done with the Dowanhill building, this may obviously mean that it is impossible to put the new Notre Dame school on this site.
I contacted the council education services committee about this and got a response that completely requote the figures! Gordon Matheson, who is now the chair / co-ordinator of the committee, claimed that the original figures had not included figures for the nursery and bilingual unit and that the full capacity of the Dowanhill building is currently 560! Look back at your documents if you still have them - you will see tat he is clearly contradicting himself.
We need to grasp this opportunity with both hands -at best there has been an error / misinformation -at worst we have been manipulated and lied to. On a practical level, if the council do find that they can core the Dowanhill building and rebuild the inside (this is what they are planning), raising the capacity as significantly as they will need to will mean much smaller classrooms, less social space etc. So there are various angles from which we can continue to challenge the council.
The steering committee met this week and decided on the following actions - we will attempt get media coverage for these - please join us and make a big impact!
On this coming Thursday 7th December there will a school gate demonstration at Dowanhill primary at home time - come a bit before 3pm to get set up. St this we will be pushing the fact that the council can't do their sums yet they think they can dictate education policy to us rather than representing what we have been telling them the community needs. We will also be building for the next action which is:
A lobby of a meeting with the council on Monday 11th December - the meeting starts at 7 - we will meet at 6.30. This meeting is for 3 parents (just 3!) from each primary school to meet with the council and discuss what they wish to see in the new Hillhead Primary school. Some of you have no doubt heard about this meeting or may be going. Anyone who is going to the meeting should we think continue to ask the questions about road safety, number and size of classrooms, social space, distance to school and the status of the house which is still on the site. i am well aware however that many parents feel they have no interest in going to this meeting as consultation at this point is a joke given how the last consultation was completely ignored. For this reason we will lobby the meeting, making points about the lack of consultation and also the numbers issue re the Dowanhill site for the Notre Dame school.
So come along at 3 on Thursday 7th at Dowanhill and 6.30 on Monday 11th at Hillhead High - bring banners and placards the more visible and colourful we are the more likely the media are to print a picture, and therefore the more likely people in the community are to become aware that the fight is not over. A.
Read more!
