THE modernisation of the region’s schools estate – which will inevitably result in school closures – must be moved forward swiftly.
That was the plea from Annandale South Councillor George Jamieson, the SNP group’s education spokesman and a former parent council member.
He spoke out at Dumfries and Galloway Council’s education committee on Tuesday, arguing that council officers had accumulated a “mountain” of information on the sustainability of schools and that consultations with parents and the wider community should progress.
Councillor Jamieson said: “Mothballing (of schools) has confused the issue, rather than helped it.
“It may just be that we need to use the information we’ve got, consult with all stakeholders, and if it’s acceptable we go straight to statutory consultation.”
He added: “I’m asking the administration to take a lead on this and that we move this forward.
“We’re in a quagmire here and we need to get out of it.
“We need to get something done because the schools are not fit for purpose for either education or accommodation, so we need to look at the whole story.”
Dee and Glenkens Councillor Dougie Campbell is worried that rural schools would be “disproportionately affected” if closure decisions were taken based on a scoring system for sustainable schools.
He said: “We’ve all received emails from the Rural Alliance Group in the last week or so, and I think they make quite a powerful case around rural education.
“They represent, I think, 17 parent councils now. They make a powerful argument – and I think we should be listening to them.”
A priority list for potential school reviews based on school sustainability scores was tabled at Tuesday’s committee.
Councillors noted this but also called for another report to be produced on a strategic rural education plan, which would look more closely at the complexity of schools operating in rural areas.
Despite strong messages around no decisions being made at the moment, some school closures/mergers will be necessary due to drastically falling school rolls and to meet curriculum for excellence requirements for pupils.
It has been revealed that primary school rolls have dropped from just under 10,800 in 2015/16 to 9,500 in 2025.
A recent council report also predicted that secondary school pupil numbers will drop significantly by 1,300 by the end of 2028.
