Towerlands in the News

The Towerlands SaveOurSchools campaign will be keeping a record of news articles that feature the fight to save Towerlands Primary School. We have been featured in the following articles:

Irvine Herald Newspaper and Website 23rd April 2008 'Towerlands: Votes plea to councillors', written by Eric McGowen

""TOWERLANDS protesters this week urged councillors to put party politics to one side and vote with their conscience at next week’s crunch meeting of the full council.

Campaigners remained in bullish mood on Tuesday despite the bitter blow of the Education Executive’s recommendation to close the school in August 2009 and amalgamate it with neighbouring Fencedyke and Broomlands Primaries.

Chris Archer, of the school’s parent council, said he expected the executive to push through the recommendation and claimed he still had faith in councillors to overturn the move.

His hopes have been boosted by support pledged from Labour councillors Tom Barr and John Moffat, Liberal Democrat Ruby Kirkwood and the SNP.""

Click HERE to read the full story!!!


Irvine Herald Newspaper and Website 23rd April 2008 'North Ayrshire Schools Latest: One open, one shut', written by Eric McGowen

..."Towerlands could still escape the chop after Labour councillors Tom Barr and John Moffat announced they would vote to keep the school when the proposals go to the full council next week.

Lib Dem councillor Ruby Kirkwood also expressed her intention to vote to keep the school and if the SNP stick to their earlier vow to back protestors, Towerlands could yet survive."

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Irvine Herald Newspaper, 14 March 2008 [Page 2], "Politicians call for rethink on schools", written by Lex Brown

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Irvine Herald Newspaper, 14 March 2008 [Page 3], "Report"


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Irvine Herald Newspaper, 14 March 2008 [Page 5], "Schools out as pupils protest over closures"

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Irvine Times Newspaper, 12 March 2008 [Pages 4 & 5], "Irvine is brought to a standstill"; written by Kevin Dyson


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Irvine Times Newspaper, 20 February 2008 [page 23], "Research should not be up to the parents"; written by Kevin Dyson


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Kevin Dyson, Irvine Times, reported "SNP join fight to save school", Wednesday 27th February 2008 [page 2]:

Nationalist Councillors have agreed to fight to keep Towerlands Primary School open. Joan Sturgeon, the SNP councillor for Irvine East, told the Times she had persuaded her colleagues that the proposed closure should not go ahead. The group have now agreed to fight to save both Towerlands and Springside schools.

Cllr. Sturgeon said "Over the last few months, it has been clear to me that the community interest in Towerlands, Bourtreehill and Broomlands would not be best served by this closure. I believe that there have been many valid points made in representations from parents, pupils and the wider community, and it is gratifying that my fellow SNP councillors agree with me".

Chris Archer, Chair of Towerlands Parent Council, said: "This is great news for Towerlands and demonstrates that there definitely are others out there who can see NAC have not properly thought through their consultation paper, and have not proven an educational, social or financial case. Everyone associated with Towerlands is very grateful for the support the SNP councillors have shown us; a particular 'thank you' must be give to Joan Sturgeon for the help and advice she has given us. Our task is now to convince the rest of the councillors that we have a strong case for non-closure. Our final submission opposing the closure of Towerlands Primary School, as a Parent Council, will be finalised and published in the coming week".

Mr Archer also urged locals to ensure their responses to the consultation arrived with the council by the closing date of March 17. [end]

"Say NO! to Closures"


Irvine Herald Website, 22 February 2008, "Schools out for Ayrshire pupils", written by Eric Gowan

FED-UP parents are set to pull their kids out of three closure-threatened schools as part of a shock protest ahead of “Black Friday.”

The dramatic demonstration will see pupils removed from classrooms to take part in a massive drive-slow procession of decorated vehicles.

Frustrated parents at the schools involved — Springside, Towerlands and John Galt — say the move is a reaction to North Ayrshire Council’s “shambolic” consultation process. (click here to read the full article)

Irvine Herald Newspaper, 22 February 2008 [page 7], "Education chief branded 'clueless' after gaffe"

Parents fighting to save Towerlands Primary School branded education chief Carol Kirk 'clueless' after she made and embarrassing gaffe at a packed public meeting on Monday night. Director of Education Mrs Kirk - facing Towerlands parents for the first time - was asked what Fencedyke Primary had that Towerlands didn't. She answered "space", despite Towerlands being twice the size of Fencedyke. Parents were also left raging at the director of education's failure to answer several key questions.

The meeting held at the school, was attended by over 100 angry parents, with around ten of North Ayrshire's councillors in attendance.

Chris Archer, Chairman of Towerlands Parent Council, said: "On more than one occasion the room erupted in laughter at some of the answers offered". "Mrs kirk is the director of education and yet she simply did not know the size of the schools affected". "How are parents supposed to take the council's proposal seriously when the person in charge comes away with stuff like that?". "A lot of our questions were not answered, with Mrs Kirk left to turn helplessly to Jim Leckie. It's not good enough, but it's what we've come to expect throughout the consultation process." [end]

Irvine Times Newspaper, 20 February 2008 [page 2], "TOWERLANDS PARENTS HIT OUT AT PLANS, School Closure Process 'null & void'?"; written by Kevin Dyson.

Angry Towerlands Parents have called on planned closures to be scrapped after Education chief Carol Kirk admitted that they were unlikely to meet the deadlines set out in the consultation documents.

Mrs kirk told a meeting with parents at Towerlands primary that she felt the process could "take some time" and would be unlikely to happen before the summer. Towerlands Parent Council Chair Chris Archer asked her: "If you can't make the dates set out in the proposals surely the consultation can be done away with now as it is null and void".

Parents voiced their anger at the consultation process, claiming that the education of their children was being ignored and that NAC was failing to take their views into account. Others claimed that the effect on their children being forced to move into new, strange surroundings would be damaging, adding that they wanted the best education for their children.

Mrs Kirk was pulled up on one comment, when she answered a young pupil's question with the response that the plans would improve his education. One angry parent told us: "It was a disgrace to claim that the education at Towerlands isn't good enough".

However, Mrs kirk told the meeting that she had "a responsibility to look after the education of children all across North Ayrshire". She said that she didn't want to close any schools but said that it was her responsibility to look at the bigger picture to use the money for education for the greatest benefit to children across the are.

Mr Archer told us after the meeting: "They still didn't answer our questions and couldn't answer the questions. They don't know their stuff and that is concerning. The support at the meeting confirmed what I knew all along, that the people of Towerlands care about the school". [end]