A ferocious row is going on in the Isle of Barra, 120 miles south of Stornoway. The school in the main town, Castlebay, has been receiving less than favourable reports from Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education, now for 3 years in a row. Parents are concerned and so are the pupils. A local internet blog highlighting the issue received 100 comments, whereas commonly the number of comments on its entries is around a dozen or so. More remarkable is that the Council blocked access to the blog from computers at the school in Castlebay.
In spite of a visitation by a senior education official, parents' and students' fears are by no means allayed, and a move could be afoot to wrench control of the school from the council to the community. This would require the consent of the Scottish Government.
Good grief, Arnish. Most local councils strike me as being training grounds for bent (S)MPs, but yours does seem particularly bad!
ReplyDeleteI've just ploughed my way through al 111 comments on the 'blog formerly known as Angus Nicolson' and you surely don't get this sort of response if there's merely a storm in a teacup. Bit confusing with so many Anonymouses though...nom de plumes would help show how many comments are made by one person. If the illiterate ones are all written by pupils, it rather argues the case for the complainers. 100 is far too small for a secondary school: would it not be better for the pupils to board in Stornoway during the week, as North Isles pupils do in Orkney?
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