Blackness parents plea to Falkirk Council to keep their much-loved school open

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A proposal by Falkirk Council to 'mothball' Blackness Primary School has been met with anger by parents who say they are determined to fight any closure.

Dr Juliet Graham and Jann Fairley, of the Parent Council, say they are fully supported by other parents at the school and many members of the community. "Closing the school will have an impact on the whole community," said Jann. Read more: Falkirk pupils take over phone box to encourage pride in local area They also strongly believe their children are getting an excellent education in a safe, caring environment and they don't want that to change.Discussions on the future of the school, which has just eight pupils and one teacher, began last week when Falkirk Council's education, children and young people's executive agreed to begin a consultation.But Juliet and Jann were dismayed that the report focused on the downside of being educated in such a small school.Members were told that being in a larger school gives children broader experiences and a better chance to socialise, while it also makes it easier for pupils to transition to high school.But the Blackness mums feel that the report given to councillors was "completely unbalanced and factually incorrect"."The paper they presented was telling me that my child was not socialising with other children - but they know nothing about our children and the opportunities they have," said Jann.Juliet added that "they are not looking at the children as individuals"."We know our children best and we can make a decision about what works best for them," she said.Juliet, whose daughter has quite severe ADHD, lives in Bo'ness and chooses to send her child to the small school where she is doing well.She worries about bullying in a