Concerns have been raised about the lack of response from parents whose children will benefit from a proposed new school campus.
Two public consultations were held last year, on plans to co-locate and replace St. Joseph’s Primary School, St Joseph’s Rainbow Base and Edinbarnet Primary School, together with a new early learning and childcare centre (ELCC), which saw just 13 people attend.
An online survey was then held with 78 participants responding to the council’s proposal which will also replace Auchnacraig and Lennox ELCCs, while providing a community library and space within a new campus to be located on the site of the current St Joseph’s Primary School on Faifley Road.
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An update was presented to the education committee this week. Labour councillor Martin Rooney said: “In terms of the consultation response, it’s a really low response in terms of the number of people in the school community.
“Collectively this will affect about 500 children but we only got 2 parents attending the first meeting and 11 at the second meeting. Did we ask them the question, were they in favour of the new campus and if so what was their response?
“There were only 78 responses to the consultation online. It does seem particularly low especially given the massive investment we as a council are going to be making into the community. Have we done everything we can to engage with our parents?”
A council officer confirmed that the point of the public consultation meeting is to make people aware of the proposal and for them to give their views or raise any questions they want answered.
Chairwoman councillor Karen Conaghan also added that every parent attached to the schools had the opportunity to comment as did the wider members of the community.
She said: “I think you find with consultations there is a low response with it as people who are happy with what’s happening don’t tend to come and fill in their views and make them known because they are already content.”
Education officer Laura Mason added: “There was an online opportunity, in person, in writing, we contacted head teachers to make sure all parents were aware about the consultation. We are taking it that if they didn’t respond or provide an option that they didn’t have an opinion.
“It is a challenge when you look at the size of the community. That consultation and informal discussions are ongoing about what people would like to see but I think we can see we have reached as many people as we can .”
