MSP describes Western Isles Council as “dictatorship”

“Disappointing and unhelpful”

MSP Rhoda Grant

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has hit back at claims she is unqualified to comment on issues surrounding Castlebay School in Barra.

She was speaking after the Leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Angus Campbell, offered to ensure that she has “factual information” before speaking out about the school.

Mr Campbell hit out at comments made by Labour MSP Rhoda Grant on Radio Highland. Ms Grant accused the Comhairle of not working with teachers and parents.

She said the council acted as a dictatorship by blocking school access to a website run by former councillor Angus Nicolson where pupils criticised staff and the council. The MSP also said the council was “closing down the debate rather than dealing with the problem.”

Angus Campbell retorted: “It really is most, disappointing and unhelpful, that Rhoda Grant MSP has weighed into issues surrounding Castlebay School without taking the trouble to ask the Comhairle about the current situation.

“We would have been more than happy to brief the MSP to enable her to speak with some knowledge of the subject.”
However Mrs Grant said: “I have written to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar on several occasions asking for information relating to management and leadership issues at Castlebay School which have been highlighted in recent inspection reports.

“Remained unresolved”

“However, the replies I have received do not explain how Comhairle nan Eilean Siar plans to resolve these problems and I am concerned that neither myself nor the parents of school pupils are being taken seriously enough.

“I would be happy to be briefed properly by the Council and am writing to Mr Campbell to ask him for a meeting.”

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) recently identified for the third time issues with the quality of learning at the school which date back two years.

In their latest report the inspectors state that pupils “still experience too much variability”.  An identified strength of the school is the “achievements beyond the classroom” but within the classroom “standards of reading, writing and mathematics” have fallen.

There have been staffing issues in the English department that have remained unresolved for the last year, and the inspectors say that “the needs of those studying English … are not being effectively met”.

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