Petition · PE01486 · Session 4
Primary one class sizes and sibling placing requests
Signatures
0
Comments
13
Considered
2 meetings
What it asks
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to improve national quality in the primary one academic year by reducing average class sizes to 18 with an upper limit of 20; direct additional funding to resource the measures taken with appropriate staff, accommodation and physical resources; protect the family unit through amendment to current policy to ensure that siblings are not refused placing requests to be schooled alongside family members, and proactively prepare for future upsurges in the population to avoid displacement of siblings in primary schools.
What the petitioner did first
I have specifically campaigned in the Glasgow Herald for the class number to be reduced to 18 as the upper limit of 25 is having the unfortunate side effect in Scotland that a number of Siblings are being refused placing requests.
As a result of the lengthy appeal process, Schools across Glasgow cannot specify their numbers for P1 as parents hang on for their appeals. We are forced by Glasgow City Council to wait for the appeal board meeting for sibling placing requests until mid June as the upper class limit is 25 and so the council must extra another members of staff to accomodate these siblings. The board then make parents wait a further 14 days after the appeal to deliver a result, leaving families in limbo and P1 pupils unprepared for the school they are allowed into.
Meanwhile local MSP James Dornan has advised us to wait for the appeal although Margaret McDougal MSP has written to Maureen McKenna (Director of Education)in support of my specific case. I have now asked her to ask a question in the Scottish Parliamnet about class sizes being reduced and siblings being allowed entry via placing requests into P1.
I have approached the Director of Education Maureen McKenna to ask where my daughter is on the waiting list however the reply is that I must wait for the appeal and I have been given no insight into my chances of getting my daughter into school.
I have been to visit Sadie Docherty the Lord Provost of Glasgow at her surgery and she has too advised me that I must wait for the appeal although she is writing to the Board in support of my appeal.
I have a twitter account "sibling rights" and I have tweeted Michael Russell, who advised me to wait for the appeal, Glasgow City Council and Lord Jack McConnell (who did not reply).
As a result of the lengthy appeal process, Schools across Glasgow cannot specify their numbers for P1 as parents hang on for their appeals. We are forced by Glasgow City Council to wait for the appeal board meeting for sibling placing requests until mid June as the upper class limit is 25 and so the council must extra another members of staff to accomodate these siblings. The board then make parents wait a further 14 days after the appeal to deliver a result, leaving families in limbo and P1 pupils unprepared for the school they are allowed into.
Meanwhile local MSP James Dornan has advised us to wait for the appeal although Margaret McDougal MSP has written to Maureen McKenna (Director of Education)in support of my specific case. I have now asked her to ask a question in the Scottish Parliamnet about class sizes being reduced and siblings being allowed entry via placing requests into P1.
I have approached the Director of Education Maureen McKenna to ask where my daughter is on the waiting list however the reply is that I must wait for the appeal and I have been given no insight into my chances of getting my daughter into school.
I have been to visit Sadie Docherty the Lord Provost of Glasgow at her surgery and she has too advised me that I must wait for the appeal although she is writing to the Board in support of my appeal.
I have a twitter account "sibling rights" and I have tweeted Michael Russell, who advised me to wait for the appeal, Glasgow City Council and Lord Jack McConnell (who did not reply).
Where it was considered
Official Report-
1 Oct 20131 mention
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10 Dec 20131 mention
Signatures by country
175 online signaturesComments
13 comments, oldest first-
Lisa Fulton 2 Jun 2013This is an utter shambles for families I should know I had to fight same case year 2000 when I already had a child starting P3 at same school .... I was one the lucky ones in the end up my son eventually got the last place !!
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Jacqui McMinn 2 Jun 2013Shocking that the authorities are willing to separate siblings & perhaps force women to leave their jobs. I say women as traditionally women earn less & therefore more likely to stop working.
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Shibani Harvey 2 Jun 2013Our family could be in this very situation next year. Thoroughly supporting this campaign in the hope that the voives of concerned parents are heard. It the right thing to do.
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Shibani Harvey 2 Jun 2013We could be in this situation next year. Thoroughly supporting this campaign in the hope that the voices of concerned parents are heard. It's the right thing to do.
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Laura phelps 2 Jun 2013Things need to change to allow more children in
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pamela angelini 4 Jun 2013We all know how important this is in order to keep our kids together at school.
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Caroline Waller 5 Jun 2013This is directly affecting us at the moment , my daughter has been refused a place at the school her sibling goes to. We appealed with two other families, they got in and we didn't . Explain that to a four year old :-(
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alex dalgettie 5 Jun 2013this situation is a nightmare that is hitting mostly hard working families , the children should all go to the same school , it is crazy to have different ones
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Jacqueline walker 5 Jun 2013This is a disgrace. Sort it out ASAP .
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Remy Halliday 6 Jun 2013Shocking decision!
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Fiona Settery 6 Jun 2013Surely keeping families together should be a major priority. ...unbelievable decision!
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Julie Waller 6 Jun 2013Disgusted at the lack of humanity in this decision.
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Pete Gregson 14 Jun 2013I have thoroughly explored the problem of scottish class sizes at www.kidsnotsuits.com