Dalry Secondary school pupils to strike over timetable

The pupils leading the strike told The Herald that negative changes to the school “have been going on for years” and that they “have the effect of making pupils want to leave the school.”

Dalry Secondary has been at the centre of ongoing controversy as local families and campaigners fought plans by council officials to “mothball” the facility. In August last year, the local authority was accused of trying to shut down the rural school “by stealth” and engaging in a process of “managed decline.”

The mothballing proposals were first delayed and then, at a full council meeting in March, rejected by councillors. At the time, campaigners said that they would be “pushing for alternative education models going forward to ensure Dalry Secondary is properly managed and achieves the educational excellence it has the potential for.”

However, a new timetable issued for the coming academic year has now provoked a furious response, with some campaigners telling The Herald that it feels like the council is trying to make the school unviable in response to the failure to have mothballing approved.

New Dalry Secondary timetable (Image: Supplied)

The new arrangements would see S1, S2 and S3 pupils taught together. Almost all subjects would be delivered in double, triple or even quadruple classes.

Striking pupils told Piri, Lena and Rosa told The Herald: "We have objections to the new timetable as none of the S3-4 pupils have their choices and all the years have to go in the same class, which none of us are happy about.

"This school matters so much to us and we are absolutely devastated that it is under threat of closure.

"These sorts of measures have been going on for years and have the effect of making pupils want to leave the school.

"We want a proper choice of subjects and to stop this from happening.

"We want to keep our school open and to see it thrive.”

Emily Wall, depute chair of Dalry Parent Council said: "This strike illustrates the strong feelings of students with regard to Dalry Secondary - they love and value their school, with its small classes, rural setting and family-like atmosphere.

Read More:

• How a bespoke college course is helping domestic abuse survivors to flourish

• 'Escalating crisis': Proportion of Scots teachers facing class violence quadruples

• Glasgow schools spend thousands buying materials previously available for free

"It's a sad state of affairs when pupils feel so alienated from the school management that the only way they feel they may be listened to is by calling a strike."

John Paterson, chair of Glenkens and District Community Action Plan Steering Group said: "This strike action by pupils is another example of the strength of feeling locally and the frustration felt about community voices not being listened to. 

"As we set out in our invitation to Dumfries and Galloway Council to participate in our Education Forum we firmly believe that by working collegiately together we can make real and tangible change.

Andrew O’Halloran, secretary of Dumfries and Galloway EIS said: “EIS members at the Dalry School are deeply concerned about the workload implications of teaching multiple levels of secondary pupils in the one class, as well as the possible impact on the quality of pupil experience.

"The new timetable arrangements may have a negative impact on learning and teaching. The EIS is engaging with Dumfries and Galloway Council to resolve these issues."

A spokesperson for Dumfries & Galloway Council said: “A decision was taken by elected members to halt the mothballing of Dalry Secondary school and as such, our council has prepared a timetable for the upcoming academic year in line with the process we undertake for each of our other secondary schools.

"While the views of parents/carers and school communities are included in the design of the curriculum rationale (ie what is taught in our secondary schools) they are not ordinarily consulted or engaged in the practicalities of the timetabling process.

"In all secondary schools, management teams within the secondary school prepare a timetable that best meets the learning needs, resources and budget available. This is complex work that has to be completed in a timeous fashion to meet the timescales, to allow each of the new secondary years to begin their new timetable in June.

"The timetable that has been produced for Dalry is the best fit for the number of learners involved. Classes will be made up of cross-year learners due to the small number of pupils involved in the school (projected to be less than 20).

"It is also worth noting that Dalry Secondary school will be operating at a significantly increased cost per pupil ratio to other schools in the region, and indeed the national average. The way in which our schools are modelled and operate is also due to be discussed at Education and Learning Committee later this month.

"We have always said, and will continue to, provide the best possible learning experience for all our learners in all of our schools, based on the resources at our disposal. We are working with some learners within Dalry secondary school to provide bespoke timetabling arrangements to best meet their educational needs and expectations.”