Moving forward in education discussions
It finally feels like real progress is finally being made with regard to finding a constructive way forward for Glenkens education.
This comes after months of work from community groups and individuals across the Glenkens – years for some parents and members of the community.
What is so encouraging is that the conversation has grown to more than (although of course including) the future of Dalry Secondary it is the acknowledgement that a high-quality, accessible educational offering is key to thriving rural communities and their ability to attract and retain families.
Over the past couple of months the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan Steering Group (CAPSG) and the Dalry School Parent Council have met with Gillian Brydson, Executive Director of Education Skills and Community Wellbeing (E,S&CW) at Dumfries & Galloway Council. At the Parent Council meeting, Stephen Foster, the new head teacher for Dalry Secondary and Castle Douglas High School, was also present.
Discussions were constructive and focused on creating the best outcomes for current students whilst also planning for the future. Stephen will be working over the course of this academic year on consulting and planning on possible options, including that of an all-through school running Nursery to S3. (A summary of these meetings can be found on the Glenkens Hub 'Education and Learning' page at www.glenkens.scot/educationand-learning).
Compromise is a natural and necessary part of any process where there is more than one perspective at play and no outcome will be a perfect fit for everyone. However, for the first time it really feels like the community is ‘at the table’ with regard to decisions being made on the future of our schools.
Much effort continues to be put in both from the communities of the Glenkens and the E,S&CW department to find outcomes that are achievable and that work effectively for our young people and our community, both now and going forward (to keep up to date with how things are progressing visit the Glenkens Hub Education & Learning page).
In light of the changing situation of Glenkens education, highlighted by the plight of Dalry Secondary, the Glenkens & District Trust (GDT) commissioned a report into 'innovative models of rural education'. This is now published and it is hoped will help guide current and future plans with regard to rural education.
There will be an online event to discuss the report and ask questions of the authors – keep an eye on social media, the Glenkens Hub and posters for more information. Expanding upon the topic of Glenkens education, something that has grown out of these discussions is an exciting prospect of a broader education and skills offering being initiated in terms of lifelong learning linked to local need. The CAPSG, through the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, is pursuing the fledgling idea of a 16+ learning campus in the Glenkens (which would work closely with the new Carsphairn Community Woodland’s Rural Skills Centre as well as other partners), offering skills key to industry and employment in the region, such as renewables, forestry, agriculture, social care and hospitality.
This is an extremely ambitious idea but it is hoped that, with the right partners in place, it could be realised watch this space!
In yet more education-related news, D&G Council's budget consultation, www.dumgal.gov. uk/budget, is live now and will run until Friday 6 December. Suggested education-related money saving options which are worth noting include cutting the Additional Support Needs (ASN) support in classrooms by 50% and mothballing all schools with a roll of less than 25 – changes which, if implemented, could have huge ramifications for our rural areas.
These sweeping proposals seem to be at odds with the Council's 2023-2028 Vision that “rural communities are vibrant and thriving” as the school roll criteria will of course be mostly relevant to rural primary schools.
As an aside, and looking as we do through our rural lens, it is interesting to note that none of the cost-saving options reference three of the Dumfries high schools which are situated no more than a 10 minute drive from each other and all of which have huge recent or ongoing capital investment programmes, plus annual running costs in the £millions, yet run at an average 57% capacity between them (December 2023 figures).
The recent D&G Council's School Model Consultation outcomes stated that a school functioning below 60% capacity was not sustainable. So why is it only our small rural schools that face this scrutiny and a constant risk of closure?
Do have a look at the budget consultation if you can it affects us all and the more rural voices which can be raised, the less urban-centric the outcomes will be (we hope).
Another Council initiative coming soon is a report into the causes of rural depopulation – the CAPSG have been advocating for the Glenkens to be case study and/or key partner in this work. Most of the work being done in support of the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan could be boiled down to mitigating rural depopulation, so we will continue to follow this work with interest and will report back.
We feel proud that the Glenkens, with our strong community voice, united organisations and our willingness to work together and look to the future, seems to be ahead of the game with regard to issues facing rural areas; we just need to keep beating our drum and make sure that we are both heard and listened to.
Sarah Ade & Helen Keron