Determined mothers are undertaking a series of overnight occupations of their working class neighbourhood school in a bid to save it from closure.
Carnwardric Primary School has 239 students – which would normally be a healthy size for a primary school, with an average of 34 students in each of its seven year groups. But with a regulation limit of one teacher to every 33 students, some Carnwardric year groups get two teachers. A larger merged school will have larger class sizes and fewer teachers.
It's closure would also mean Carnwardric children crossing territorial lines to attend school outside their own neighbourhood.
Glasgow has a tradition of successful resistance to closure of schools and community facilities by occupations:
1997 - Castlemilk school saved by continuous occupation by parents and local anarchists.
1998 - Community Centre in Pollok saved after gruelling occupation by locals, continued even after electricity was cut off.
2001 - Govanhill Swimming Pool saved from demolition (but campaign to reopen still ongoing) after 140 days of continuous occupation was ended by a dawn police raid followed by an evening mounted police charge and riot.
Glasgow City Council plans to close a total of 28 primary schools and 12 nursery schools.
Many school football pitches are due to be built on or sold off as part of that same exercise.
Full list of closures and new builds is at http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/News/pre12phase4investment.htm
More details:
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5048424.html
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5048576.html
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5048522.html
http://saveourschoolsnow.blogspot.com/
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