Axe falls on community secondary school

Parents broke down in tears when Western Isles Council controversially voted to close Lionel rural secondary school on Lewis.

A tense, lengthy debate ended in a tied vote with councillors split 15-15 over axing the S2 school in Ness.

To campaigners anger, council convenor Norman Macdonald used his casting vote to seal its fate.

Lionel will now shut for good in June. Affected Ness pupils will transfer to the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway from August.

Furious protestor, Chris Macdonald, hit out at the “unfairness” that the senior councillor was allowed to vote twice on the issue.

Mr Macdonald said: “He has effectively closed the school himself.

“Now all the children in North Lewis are going to suffer for generations to come because the convenor gets two votes.”

He pointed out if the council had waited just a month when Alistair Maclennan, who won a council seat in a by-election this week - legally takes office then the school would have been saved.

Some parents claimed the council wanted to push through the decision last night as Mr Maclennan was known to support retaining the secondary school.

The closure heralds the abolishment of the island’s S2 system – virtually unique in Scotland - where pupils are taught in their own home district for the first two years of secondary school.

Campaigners say pupils thrived and excelled in the smaller classes at Lionel.

They are worried that travelling an extra two hours a day mean children being tired in lessons.

Many maintain the decision will tear the heart out of the community and discourage young families from settling in the Gaelic-speaking crofting district.

But education chiefs say only eight pupils attend Lionel secondary roll at present - and insist small class sizes are not effective for the modern education system.

Councillor Iain Morrison took a break from chemotherapy treatment in Hospital in Aberdeen to vote to save the school via a video link.

Mr Morrison warned: “If Lionel closes then it will never reopen.”

Like others, he accused the council of “systemically dismantling” the sustainability of the school, creating an unstable environment and fostering uncertainty through reducing pupils numbers by narrowing its catchment area and taking away its head teacher.

Kenny Macleod said pupil numbers were poised to rise this summer and the forecast roll looked healthy for future years.

He highlighted: “We have to decide whether we want vibrant, sustainable communities like Ness or to centralise everything n Stornoway.”

Charlie Nicolson received a round of applause from the over 20-strong group of parents listening intently to the council debate.

He accused the council of “manipulating the situation so the school will fold.”

Education chairperson Catriona Stewart said only eight pupils presently attended the school and numbers had declined.

She pointed out many other Ness parents bypassed Lionel and sent their children directly to S1-S2 in Stornoway.

Mrs Stewart said the larger Nicolson Institute would better deliver the modern education curriculum which was “difficult to teach properly in small classes.”

There was also a greater range of Gaelic medium subjects, she highlighted.

Parents in tears as axe falls on community secondary school

12 February 2015