McNeil
Comments on Minister’s School Plan Verdict
Commenting on today’s announcement by
Education Minister, Peter Peacock, on Inverclyde Council’s plans for secondary
schools in the area, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Duncan McNeil, said:
“This is the latest
instalment in this sorry and totally unnecessary saga.
We had a perfectly good plan to give all our kids the new, modern schools
they deserve and this was, in a breathtakingly cynical piece of politics, ripped
up by the Liberal administration when they took office in 2003 – hence the
current shambles.
“Like the pupils, parents
and others who have campaigned against these ill-conceived and divisive plans, I
am of course disappointed that, despite our best efforts, the Minister could
find no grounds to refuse consent to the Council.
“But this technical, legal
victory is not the end.
“Thanks to the mishandling
of this issue over the past two and a half years, these changes are very
unlikely to happen before the next council elections in 2007.
And, of course, if 2007 sees a change of political leadership, they
won’t happen at all.
“Some huge questions still
need to be answered. Where, for
example, is this mythical new school going to be built?
When will it be built? Who’s
going to pay for it?
“The whole situation is a
complete mess and it won’t be cleared up while there’s absolutely no
consensus on the way forward. I
understand that Inverclyde Council Labour Group Leader, Cllr Stephen McCabe, has
therefore offered to set up wide-ranging talks with interested parties, in which
I would urge Council Leader, Alan Blair and his colleagues to take part. It’s the very least parents and pupils should expect.”
ENDS
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