Letter: Save Lionel school

Sirs,

Today (11th Feb), the full council will vote on the proposal to close Lionel Secondary School. Having been a pupil at Lionel Secondary School in S1 and S2 and the Nicolson Institute in S3 to S6 I am in a good position to comment on some of the claims the consultation report is trying to make. I also work as a teacher in Glasgow.

For decades, pupils in Ness have enjoyed their education in Stornoway after being introduced to a broad general education in Lionel Secondary school. They have co-existed very successfully and I hope that this remains the same. There is no doubt that The Nicolson Institute has plenty to offer and has made significant progress since its last HMIE inspection and the Consultation report has made an excellent attempt at trying to sell the school to potential 1st year pupils coming from Ness. Yet, they have failed to convince me that the pros outweigh the cons.

Attainment

In pages 6 and 7 it compares the attainment in 2014 and 2014 of S2 pupils in Lionel with that of S2 pupil’s attainment in The Nicolson Institute and they are very similar apart from in 2014, where the English attainment is significantly higher in Lionel (108.9 compared to 100.9). Considering the sample size is considerably higher in the NI (Nicolson Institute), one poor score will have little impact on the average whereas in Lionel, one poor score would pull the average down considerably. So basically, the consultation says that pupils in Lionel School perform better in Maths and are no worse off in English.

Impact of S1/S2 closure on the local community including businesses and inward migration

On page 7 (bullet point 2 of the response), it says that there is no evidence that having a school in a community increases inward migration. Well let me ask you this. If you had a young family and were considering moving from say the mainland to Ness, would a nearby school be on your list of priorities? Of course it would! Having no school in the community decreases the chances of inward migration! Furthermore, on page 8, bullet point 8, it says when the parents of Lionel primary school pupils were asked if they would send their children to the NI, only 25% said yes. So an overwhelming majority of 75% would rather send their child to Lionel.

Extra-curricular activities

On page 11, it talks of the array of lunchtime clubs on offer, which is commendable to the staff of the NI. I’m not convinced however, that many pupils will have the time to take advantage of this because the lunchtime is only 40 mins long and many pupils have to go into the town to eat because I’m reliably informed that the canteen struggles to cater for all its pupils.

On page 13, it claims that at the end of a school day the school bus will reach Ness at 4.40pm (precisely which part of Ness, I’m not sure). If a 1st year pupil was to stay on and take part in a supported study class or a sports club, then this pupil would probably have to get the bus which departs Stornoway at 6pm, getting to say Skigersta for 7pm. This hardly leaves any time to relax with the family or do any homework that is required of them. This is something I experienced myself when I was in 3rd year right through to 6th year and found myself exhausted at the end of the week if I was getting home too late. Late nights will no doubt impact on a young person’s health and wellbeing, especially 1st and 2nd years. I work in a school in Glasgow which has pupils travelling to it from the surrounding areas of Glasgow like East Kilbride for example. The uptake of those pupils in after-school classes is very low, because they live so far away and they complain of getting home too late.

Travel Time and Impact on Pupils

This is perhaps the biggest concern for pupils and parents. 1st year and 2nd year pupils will be spending 2 hours a day on a bus, instead of taking advantage of their surroundings at home in Ness. I could bore you with romantic tales of playing football at Iain Cheocaidh’s house, going fishing and visiting my grandparents after a day at Lionel Secondary school, but I’ll resist the temptation! The council insists that pupils will be on a bus for no longer than an hour. This will be a remarkable achievement, especially in winter. I fear bus drivers, with a target to meet, may have to drive with excessive speed over the Barvas moor, which would be highly dangerous. On page 13 of the report, in bullet point 6, the report suggests that the Travel Time will be a thoroughly enjoyable experience where they can (and I quote) “make friends, enjoy time together, making them more resistant to bullying, become more organised, become more independent”. The report is trying to make the absurd claim that these long journeys are actually a rewarding experience and justify the fact that some 11 and 12 year olds have to spend 12.5% of their day (assuming they get 8 hours sleep) on a bus. I can tell you exactly what those pupils will be thinking, because I’ve been there. They’ll be thinking, “I wish I was at home playing football right now, or watching telly or visiting my friends, or taking in peats... anywhere but this bus!” It also goes on to say that it’s a good thing that pupils have to share their bus journey with some adults and their presence may reduce bullying. What exactly are they basing this on? This section of the report is naive at best and insulting at its worst. It has even been suggested in the Council chambers that pupils should do their homework on the bus. I hardly think that the Eureka moment came for a pupil whilst they were on a noisy, crowded bus which is bouncing across the Barvas moor, trying to do Algebra. Homework is an important part of school life which should be done at home with the support of family. Homework on the bus would be poorly done and there would no doubt be some bullying and plagiarism going on.

Families from Ness have nothing against the Nicolson Institute, it is a very good school, but so is Lionel Secondary. There is no reason why they cannot co-exist so that pupils can take advantage of the small class sizes in their local school and its surroundings, in order to prepare them for 3rd year when they are better prepared to cope with the long journeys and a bigger social group.

In summary, I really hope that councillors see sense and keep the Lionel Secondary School open, not just for Education purposes but it is a vital part of the community, young people and old. Sports days, Christmas Concerts, music events, fundraisers are all part of the Secondary school calendar where grandparents, parents and extended family are all involved.

The school roll is projected to be much higher in years to come (page 15 of the report, 18 pupils in 2015/16, 25 in 2016/17) and the Nursery school is full to capacity. I know that the pupils from Lionel are successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. The 4 capacities of the Curriculum for Excellence. This has always been the case and if the pupil really is at the centre of the thoughts of those councillors then the decision is easy. Save Lionel Secondary School.

Donald John Smith

58 Whitehurst

Bearsden

Glasgow

(Formerly Burnside House, Cross, Ness, Isle of Lewis)

Letter: Save Lionel school

11 February 2015