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Pupils in walkouts over closures | Pupils in walkouts over closures |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Children at three Edinburgh schools have staged walkouts from classes in protest at school closures. | |
Pupils at Craigentinny, Lismore and Bonnington primaries went on short "strikes" on Friday morning, education chiefs confirmed. | |
They are among the 22 schools and nurseries which Edinburgh City Council wants to shut down. | |
The local authority said it could not condone any action which caused disruption to the education system. | |
At Lismore Primary, about 30 to 40 pupils demonstrated for half an hour at the start of the day. | |
A walkout also took place at Craigentinny Primary in the morning when about 150 pupils protested outside the school before returning to class at 0920 BST. | |
A further 100 people also demonstrated at Bonnington Primary for 40 minutes during school time this morning. | |
This is our catchment school and it is our right to send our children to our catchment school Shirley Thomson,Concerned parent | This is our catchment school and it is our right to send our children to our catchment school Shirley Thomson,Concerned parent |
A planned strike at Castlebrae Community High did not take place. | |
The council has said that falling school rolls mean many school buildings are half empty. | |
It planned to close 13 primary and three secondary schools in the wake of an Audit Scotland review last month. | |
Six nursery schools and four community centres are also to be shut. | |
Shirley Thompson sends three of her four daughters to Craigentinny Primary School. | Shirley Thompson sends three of her four daughters to Craigentinny Primary School. |
She said she recognised that the council needed to save money, but closing schools was not the right road to go down. | She said she recognised that the council needed to save money, but closing schools was not the right road to go down. |
"This is our catchment school and it is our right to send our children to our catchment school," Ms Thompson said. | "This is our catchment school and it is our right to send our children to our catchment school," Ms Thompson said. |
Children hold placards outside Bonnington Primary | |
"I have three daughters at this school and to move them now would be very disruptive. | "I have three daughters at this school and to move them now would be very disruptive. |
"One is in P6 at the moment which would mean she would have to move for P7 which would really, really upset her and disrupt her education." | "One is in P6 at the moment which would mean she would have to move for P7 which would really, really upset her and disrupt her education." |
Nicola Duffy, 37, a crossing patrol woman with two boys at Craigentinny, said most of the schools' 165 pupils joined the protest. | Nicola Duffy, 37, a crossing patrol woman with two boys at Craigentinny, said most of the schools' 165 pupils joined the protest. |
"The schools they are proposing to send them to are full to capacity," she said. | "The schools they are proposing to send them to are full to capacity," she said. |
"This is about the land area that can be sold from Craigentinny - there is a lot of money to be made." | "This is about the land area that can be sold from Craigentinny - there is a lot of money to be made." |
A city council spokeswoman said: "We recognise that parents may wish to make their voices heard but we cannot condone anything that will cause disruption to children's education." |