Dumfries and Galloway Council considers bid to change leadership
A council is to meet to consider a no confidence motion in its Conservative leadership.The Tory group has led the administration in Dumfries and Galloway over the past two years since the collapse of a rainbow coalition.However, more than half of the members of the local authority have signed a call for a special meeting to consider the removal of leader Gail Macgregor and deputy leader Malcolm Johnstone.It came after seven councillors left the Conservative group to form two separate groups of their own.
The events which triggered the meeting started a fortnight ago.Four Conservatives left to form a new group called Novantae over claims of a "failure to listen" to the west of the region.Another three created the Dumfries and Galloway Independent Group.The moves left the Conservatives with just nine members from a previous representation of 16 and led to the request for a special meeting.The Conservative group insisted it was the "only party delivering for people in Wigtownshire" and that would continue.It has flagged up "significant investment" in the area under its leadership - including the George Hotel in Stranraer and a watersport centre.Council leader Ms Macgregor has said she has given her all to the post over the last two years and would love to continue in the role.
'No chance' of SNP-Labour administration
Although 22 councillors signed the call for the meeting - 11 SNP, eight Labour and three from the Democratic Alliance - it appears they are unlikely to form a new administration.Labour group leader Archie Dryburgh said that while it had backed the no confidence move there was "no chance" of working with the SNP longer term.No single group has enough councillors to form a working majority on its own and it seems more likely another minority administration will be formed."I'm not sure exactly what will happen, but Monday's meeting will be very interesting," said SNP group leader Stephen Thompson.
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The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Parents condemn vote to mothball 150 year-old school
This led the Scottish Borders Council to approve a recommendation to mothball, or temporarily close it, at Thursday's full council meeting. The mothballing will begin in August 2025. Councils are required to review every mothballing decision at least once per year. Evidence for the recommendation was presented by the council's solicitor, who explained that the council is not obligated to carry out a full statutory consultation on mothballing and that the council has some "flexibility" on the issue. Mothballing is covered under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. Although the guidance only requires a full statutory consultation if a council is attempting to close a school permanently, the Scottish Government has recently reiterated to other councils that engagement with parents is necessary before any mothballing decision is made. According to the official guidance, if that engagement results in the majority of affected families opposing the mothballing recommendation, then the council should begin the process for consulting on permanent closure "as soon as possible." Previous reporting from The Herald has shown that Scottish Borders Council has so far failed to provide evidence that it carried out consultations with affected parents ahead of the mothballing vote. Council papers included evidence that the low roll, along with the fact that the only additional placement request comes from outside the school catchment area, meant that children would not receive a full educational experience at Fountainhall and would be better served at a neighbouring school. The school's stated capacity is 50 pupils. During the half-hour discussion, many councillors expressed regret over the situation. SNP councillor Fay Sinclair said that mothballing a village school is an "emotive subject" that can impact even families without children directly connected to the school, but the situation required a hard decision. "I couldn't in good conscience vote to keep a school open for one pupil." Conservative council leader Euan Jardine said that his experience at a small rural school encouraged him to support the difficult decision to mothball Fountainhall. "I went to a small rural school from Primary One to Three. But from Primary Four, I moved to a different school, and I learned how to play football and different social things I had never experienced in my life before." He also questioned how a setting with only one pupil might negatively impact the career development opportunities for staff at the school. Prior to the vote, Scottish Liberal Democrat members issued a statement to The Herald questioning the process which led to the mothballing recommendation and calling for a review. Councillor Euan Robson said: 'Liberal Democrat members of Scottish Borders Council will be posing questions as a result of the Officers' report on the proposed mothballing of Fountainhall Primary School. "We want to know whether the consultation procedure about mothballing was fair and reasonable and complied with government guidance. "We shall ask for a review. "We also need to know just how many placement requests were made to the school and how many potential nursery children might have enrolled. There are conflicting suggestions in this regard that should be resolved." "We will be scrutinising the savings that are estimated to occur. Savings can only be achieved by a reduction in the Council's teaching establishment. Loss of teachers is regrettable but the Council's establishment will still seemingly be above the minimum level set by the Scottish Government. "The wider point about savings is that without staff reductions, there are little or no revenue savings to be achieved in closing or mothballing small rural schools, and staff reductions do nothing for pupil teacher ratios and children's education.' There was no significant opposition to the recommendation during the meeting on Thursday. Read more Independent councillor James Anderson called the situation an "unfortunate" reflection of the suggestion that the Borders has become "more of a retirement village." He called on council officers to make sure that next year's enrollment figures are not "misrepresented, considering they may reflect a loss of confidence rather than genuine lack of demand." The decision has been met with frustration by local parents, who argued that the council did not provide affected families with fair notice of the decision. They also argued that, according to Scottish Government and council policies, there was enough parent opposition to the mothballing recommendation that the council should instead have opted for the more rigorous process of opening a statutory consultation on permanently closing the school. Councillors were greeted on Thursday morning with a letter from an affected parent asking for a delay in the mothballing decision and a fuller consideration of the implications of mothballing. Many parents have raised concerns that the mothballing process is used as a way to keep enrollments and interest in rural schools to a minimum and make it easier to justify permanent closure eventually. Fountainhall Primary School will be mothballed beginning in August 2025, a decision which councillors called regrettable, while parents have questioned the process which led to the decision. (Image: ) Scottish Borders Council has mothballed 13 schools and early learning centres (ELC) since 2015. One of those has reopened and five are now permanently closed. According to Scottish Government guidance, councils are required to undertake a full statutory consultation before permanently closing a school. Guidance also states that mothballing "should not be a way of denying parents access to the statutory consultation process required" by law. In a press release following the decision, a group of parent campaigners said the decision has left the community "reeling." Fountainhall parent Laurie Cameron-Back said that she chose to live in Fountainhall in part because of the school at its heart. "Being able to walk our child to school was always our dream. I'm concerned that losing the school may make it harder for young families to stay, settle, and feel part of something. "It's more than just a building; it's part of the village's identity.' Thursday's decision to mothball Fountainhall also follows a period of controversy for the council over the attempted mothballing and later restructuring of several rural nurseries. Michael Napier, whose child has been attending Fountainhall Primary School, said that parents no longer have faith in the process and that the council needs to "try harder" to engage. "We suggest SBC revises the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 set out by the Scottish Parliament. SBC's end-of-year report card for 2025 would read 'Does not pay attention, does not listen, does not follow instructions'." Scottish Borders Council has been asked to respond to parent concerns.
STV News
4 hours ago
- STV News
MSPs pass legislation to scrap SQA for new Scottish exams body
Holyrood has passed legislation that will abolish Scotland's exam body – despite claims from opposition parties that the replacement organisation is 'little more than a rebrand'. Both Labour and the Conservatives voted against the Bill, which will dissolve the Scottish Qualifications Authority, and set up a new organisation, to be called Qualifications Scotland to take its place. This is expected to be up and running in the autumn of 2025 – after this year's exams results come out. It comes almost five years after the 2020 exams scandal, where marks for more than 124,000 youngsters were downgraded after exams had to be scrapped as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. But Labour education spokesperson Pam Duncan-Glancy said: 'Instead of abolishing the SQA today the Bill allows the current leadership to transfer wholesale.' She insisted that 'on reform this is a job unfinished'. Similarly, Scottish Conservative education spokesperson said the changes, in the Education (Scotland) Bill would not deliver the 'meaningful reform for Scotland's education system which is urgently needed'. He argued that the new exams body was 'little more than a rebrand of the SQA'. Briggs said: 'The SQA needed an overhaul, not a cosmetic makeover, and the changes proposed fall way short of what is required to ensure the organisation can operate effectively and is properly accountable.' But speaking as the legislation was passed by 69 votes to 47, eeducation secretary Jenny Gilruth rejected those claims. Instead, she said, the Bill would 'fundamentally create a new and a different type of organisation which works with the teaching profession differently'. In addition it will establish a new chief inspector of education, who will be tasked with inspecting nurseries, schools and colleges across Scotland. Here she said there was a 'cast-iron guarantee' that the person who takes up this post would have 'suitable teaching and educational leadership experience'. The education secretary said: 'Through the creation of a new qualifications body and an independent inspectorate, the Bill enables a more responsive, trusted and effective national education infrastructure.' The legislation, passed after two nights of late sittings at Holyrood, will provide 'the scaffolding which supports the wider range of education reform', she added. Briggs, however, said: 'It does feel like the Bill has been rushed through Parliament in the last week of term.' He added that 'this Bill has not been the opportunity many of us had hoped it would be', claiming it was 'clear SNP ministers' policies and half-baked reforms are not delivering for our young people'. Duncan-Glancy was also critical, saying: 'We needed a qualifications system fit for the future, one that respects the efforts of learners, supports the judgment of teachers, and earns the trust of employers and universities. 'We needed a curriculum that is broad and inclusive, we needed an inspectorate that can challenge where necessary but also celebrate excellence. But on reform this is a job unfinished.' Gilrtuh said afterwards: 'The successful passage of this legislation shows this Government is serious about implementing the changes needed to drive improvement across Scotland's education and skills system. 'The creation of a new, national qualifications body is about building the right conditions for reform to flourish – the new body will ensure that knowledge and experience of pupils and teachers are at the heart of our national qualifications offering. 'The new inspectorate body will also have greater independence and the power to set the frequency and focus of inspections, moving this function away from ministers, to His Majesty's Chief Inspector.' She added: 'Taken together, our major programme of education and skills reform will bring about the changes needed to meet the needs of future generations of young people.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
SQA to be scrapped and replaced as MSPs vote through education reform
The Scottish Qualifications Authority is set to be replaced with a new organisation in autumn 2025. MSPs have voted to pass legislation which will see Scotland's exam body scrapped and replaced. The existing Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) will be dissolved, and a new organisation called Qualifications Scotland set up in its place. It is expected to be running by this autumn, after exam results have been released. Plans are also in place to appoint a chief inspector for educational settings. The changes come nearly five years after the exams scandal in 2020, where marks for over 124,000 pupils were downgraded after formal exams had to be cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. However, they have prompted objections from opposition parties that the replacement organisation is "little more than a rebrand", after the legislation was passed by 69 votes to 47. Labour education spokesperson Pam Duncan-Glancy said: "Instead of abolishing the SQA today the Bill allows the current leadership to transfer wholesale." She insisted that "on reform this is a job unfinished". Similarly, Scottish Conservative education spokesperson Miles Briggs said the changes, in the Education (Scotland) Bill would not deliver the "meaningful reform for Scotland's education system which is urgently needed". He argued that the new exams body was "little more than a rebrand of the SQA". Mr Briggs added: "The SQA needed an overhaul, not a cosmetic makeover, and the changes proposed fall way short of what is required to ensure the organisation can operate effectively and is properly accountable." Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has rejected those claims. She said the Bill would "fundamentally create a new and a different type of organisation which works with the teaching profession differently". In addition, it will establish a new chief inspector of education, who will be tasked with inspecting nurseries, schools and colleges across Scotland. She added there was a "cast-iron guarantee" that the person who takes up this post would have "suitable teaching and educational leadership experience". Ms Gilruth said: "Through the creation of a new qualifications body and an independent inspectorate, the Bill enables a more responsive, trusted and effective national education infrastructure." The legislation, passed after two nights of late sittings at Holyrood, will provide "the scaffolding which supports the wider range of education reform", she added. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Mr Briggs, however, said: "It does feel like the Bill has been rushed through Parliament in the last week of term." He added that "this Bill has not been the opportunity many of us had hoped it would be", claiming it was "clear SNP ministers' policies and half-baked reforms are not delivering for our young people". Ms Duncan-Glancy was also critical, saying: "We needed a qualifications system fit for the future, one that respects the efforts of learners, supports the judgment of teachers, and earns the trust of employers and universities. "We needed a curriculum that is broad and inclusive, we needed an inspectorate that can challenge where necessary but also celebrate excellence. But on reform this is a job unfinished." Ms Gilruth said afterwards: "The successful passage of this legislation shows this Government is serious about implementing the changes needed to drive improvement across Scotland's education and skills system. "The creation of a new, national qualifications body is about building the right conditions for reform to flourish - the new body will ensure that knowledge and experience of pupils and teachers are at the heart of our national qualifications offering. "The new inspectorate body will also have greater independence and the power to set the frequency and focus of inspections, moving this function away from ministers, to His Majesty's Chief Inspector." She added: "Taken together, our major programme of education and skills reform will bring about the changes needed to meet the needs of future generations of young people."
