Scottish Catholic Observer

St Joseph’s Primary School in Milngavie is set to be closed by East Dunbartonshire Council and merged with St Andrew’s Primary School in a new build in Bearsden despite years of protests from St Joseph’s parents. The high profile campaign (right) has accused the council of disregard for Catholic education in the town and has received support from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson.

However, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that in the five years from 2010 to 2014 only a small number of pupils at the school have transferred to a Catholic secondary, with the majority attending the non-denominational Douglas Academy in Milngavie.

In the summer of 2011 and 2013, all P7 pupils who left St Joseph’s Primary transferred on to Douglas Academy. In the summers of 2010, 2012 and 2014, between one and four pupils transferred to other local authority schools, with the rest attending Douglas Academy. From 2010-2014, St Joseph’s had an average P7 roll of 16.

St Joseph’s is associated with three secondary schools: St Ninian’s High School in Kirkintilloch, Turnbull High School in Bishopbriggs and John Paul Academy in Summerston, north Glasgow. The latter of those is the closest, around 4.5 miles by road from Milngavie.

East Dunbartonshire Labour Councillor Maureen Henry—who represents Milngavie—voted for the council’s new build plans. Speaking in a personal capacity, she said she stood by the decision and compared the council’s situation with that of the Church’s reorganisation in response to falling parishioner numbers.

“As a Catholic, I have been accused of betraying Catholic education by supporting the merger of St Joseph’s and St Andrew’s and nothing is further from the truth,” she said. “I taught in Catholic schools, as did my husband, as does my daughter and I am totally committed to maintaining Catholic education for our children. However I am becoming increasingly saddened by the posturing of some of the St Joseph’s parents who are so willing to attack me for what they say as my betrayal of Catholic schools when they refuse to send their own children to Catholic secondary schools… it is the right of parents to choose the education they want for their children but please do not accuse me of betraying Catholic education.”

Last year, a formal consultation from Education Scotland into the proposed merger found widespread opposition from parents, pupils, and staff, and a council Equality Impact Assessment highlighted the potential for ‘indirect discrimination’ against Catholic families in Milngavie. Subsequently, the government ‘called-in’ the proposal, examining the process the council used to reach its decision, but ultimately allowed the process to go ahead.

St Joseph’s parents are now campaigning to take the school into community control, and are seeking direct funding from the Scottish government.

Helen Williams, St Joseph’s Parent Council vice chair, said: “The Scottish Catholic Observer should really be asking why East Dunbartonshire Council has failed to provide a Catholic secondary school in

Milngavie or Bearsden. Many parents find Councillor Henry’s determination to close St Joseph’s particularly confusing because she herself once campaigned for a Catholic secondary school.”

Paula Speirs, a parent at the school, said the St Joseph’s parents are trying to prevent 140 years of Catholic education in Milngavie from coming to an end. “There are three non-denominational primary schools in Milngavie and only one Catholic primary school. How would Councillor Henry describe the decision to pick-out St Joseph’s for closure? It is a sinister and unusual decision that is obviously discriminatory.

“The important thing is that our fight for Catholic education is not over. The Scottish Government is currently considering our plans for a community-led school and we hope to have news soon.”

East Dunbartonshire Council have, in the past, considered building a denominational secondary school in Milngavie, with research taking place in 2002 into a proposed joint campus construction.

Michael McGrath, director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service, said that historically, few children from St Joseph’s have transferred to Catholic secondary schools.

“This contrasts with the vast majority of Catholic primary schools where most children transfer to the local Catholic secondary school,” he said. “Over the years there have been various discussions about establishing a Catholic secondary school in the Bearsden/Milngavie area, but this has never come to pass.”

The new £9 million school for the amalgamated St Joseph’s and St Andrew’s is currently set to open for the 2016/2017 term.

—Next week’s SCO will feature at article from the chair of St Joseph’s Parent Council

—[email protected]

—This story ran in full in the July 17 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.