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Parents protest over school closure
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| A parent holds a protest sign |
PARENTS held a protest demonstration this week at a primary school earmarked for closure.
The future of Hamsteels Primary School in Esh Winning is in the balance after education bosses decided to consult on the proposed closure.
The small, close-knit community school has 61 pupils, nine short of its 70-pupil capacity.
Nearby Esh Winning Primary School, with 175 pupils, is only half full, but Hamsteels requires £207,000 worth of repairs.
Education chiefs fear it is no longer economically viable to maintain but parents say it will adversely affect their children.
Parents made posters and placards to demonstrate the strength of public opposition to the proposals. They turned out to protest outside the school on Monday morning and again at the end of the school day.
Helen Redfern, 34, Castle View, Esh Winning, said: "This is a brilliant little school and it would be terrible for the children if it were to close. The staff are fantastic. They are really caring and look after the children brilliantly."
Durham County Council, the local education authority, started its consultation on Monday with the first in a series of meetings.
A council spokesman said a final decision on the future of the school has not yet been made.
But the council's consultation document states the school will close at the end of August next year if the proposal is approved.
The report states: "The repair and maintenance issues are the responsibility of the school, but because of the small number of pupils on roll, which are projected to reduce further, it will be inevitable that the school budget will be unable to afford to carry out many of these repairs. Consequently, the condition of the building is likely to worsen.
"The prospect of closing a school requires careful consideration and any decision needs to have regard to the quality of provision of education in the area for the medium and long-term and the sustainability of that provision against falling pupil numbers.
"While the Local Authority is aware that this proposal may concern parents, pupils, staff and governors over what they see as a potential loss of their local school, it firmly believes that the proposal contained in this document is in the best interests of children, young people and their families in the area."
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2:45pm Tuesday 22nd May 2007
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