such insenstivity will just rub salt into the wounds..

When I had political responsibility for schools in Edinburgh I proposed he shutting or merging of 14 schools. I didn't like it but it was the best way of improving not only buildings but the resources we put into schools. That meant that teachers, already doing great job in difficult circumstances, could do even better with new resources and support. Every pupil in a school we shut or merged went into one of 34 new or refurbished schools. In additions we spent millions of pound spent on maintenance and development of other schools.

Having failed dismally to shut 22 schools as they first proposed, The SNP/Libdem mal-administration that we now suffer under want to shut 3 schools with no investment or building programme. What's worse, they have managed to insult staff and pupils along the way with their arrogance. I am told that one of the arguments given at the public meeting to debate the shutting of Westburn School was informed by that " a bigger school will mean better teachers for your pupils" . What a slap in the face for staff who are working extremely hard in difficult circumstances. No wonder this lot are getting a reputation for riding roughshod over the views of local people and not listening to anything that challenges their limited view of the world.