Save Our Schools Moves to Holyrood...

GLASGOW SAVE OUR SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN CALLS ON 129 MSPs TO SIGN DECLARATION IN DEFENCE OF EDUCATION IN COMMUNITIES

Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign has taken nearly 100 parents to the Scottish Parliament today, met with a group of MSPs, and started the process of getting a parliamentary majority of MSPs to sign up to a Declaration calling on the Glasgow city council to suspend its hasty attempts to close schools and nurseries by June, and asking for an urgent parliamentary investigation into the impact of these closures.

Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign organiser, Richie Venton, today said:

"We met with a group of MSPs from the Lib Dems, SNP and Labour. Two-thirds of them agreed to sign our MSPs' Declaration on the spot, and to pursue other MSPs to do likewise.
"Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign will now write to and speak to every MSP to seek their backing, to further isolate the cost-cutting councillors in their George Square bunker. "Our aim is to pound the council into retreat with the help of the Scottish parliament.
"The issues involved are of grave concern for the whole nation, as well as traumatising 2,000 young children in its biggest city.
"The Labour council's closures will mean bigger classes and less teachers -
both of which completely contradict the declared aims of the Scottish
government and the advice of educational experts.
"The so-called consultation procedure, where over 96 per cent opposition to
the closures was ignored by Steven Purcell and his puppet councillors,
undermines the whole idea of democracy and the Scottish parliament's own
guidelines for public consultation.
"We appeal to the Scottish parliament to not remain silent on such key
issues, but to shout its opposition to these regressive, cost-cutting
closures from the rooftops.
"Our MSPs' Declaration calls on the Scottish parliament to hold a thorough public investigation into the impact of the threatened closures on education, children's health and safety, social inclusion, jobs, and the implications for the democartic process of consultation with communities.
There is no reason why any MSP of any party would not sign up to this Declaration."



For more info contact Richie Venton on 07828 278 093 or at
richieventon@hotmail.com

GLASGOW SAVE OUR SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN SEEKS MEETINGS WITH SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT & MSPs

Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign

PRESS RELEASE … for immediate use (1^st May)

Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign is taking its battle against Glasgow city council to the Scottish parliament and First Minister Alex Salmond, seeking meetings and a parliamentary debate on the issues.

Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign organiser, Richie Venton, today said:

“We have said for weeks we will take this battle to the highest political institutions in the land, because there is no way we are giving up just because a bunch of Labour councillors see fit to slash our kids’ education.

“Today I have written to every one of the 129 MSPs, seeking their support in pursuit of a motion in the parliament to condemn and oppose the closures, on educational grounds, in defence of communities and indeed of democracy itself.

“I have also written to First Minster Alex Salmond, seeking meetings of a parents’ delegation with him and his government Ministers, to spell out the details of our case and seek the support of the Scottish government.

“It is blatantly obvious the Labour council in Glasgow is contradicting the declared aim of the Scottish government to cut class sizes.

“Bigger class sizes – which would be the inevitable result of this closure and job-cutting package – also contradicts educationalists’ professional opinion, the policy of the teachers’ unions, and I believe even Glasgow Labour party.

“So we hope we can win cross-party support for a parliamentary debate and a motion opposing the regressive closures, to add the powerful weight of the Scottish parliament and government to our determined resistance to these closures. ”

For more info contact Richie Venton on 07828 278 093 or at richieventon@hotmail.com

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