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Council surveys Lochs school over dispute with parents        10/4/08

Western Isles Council does not intend to refer the proposed closure of Sgoil nan Loch to the Scottish Government.

The secondary school is one of nine which the council wants to shut to save cash.

But a dispute emerged between the parent council and the local authority over a rule which requires the Scottish Government to ratify closures if schools are at 80% capacity.

Parents insisted that its secondary school is full and that the council must receive clearance from the government - a process which could delay the closure process.

The council later conceded that the rule exists but it now says that it does not apply to the Lochs school after it carried out survey to check the capacity figures.

The council's asset management plan for 2007 states capacity  figures of 100 for the primary department and 40 for the secondary department.  

Parents pointed out that there are 49 pupils in the secondary school resulting in 122% capacity and well over the 80% referral trigger.

However the council says its recent survey "has shown that the actual capacity of accommodation designated for secondary department use in Sgoil nan Loch is below the 80% threshold.

"For the bulk of the week the secondary department currently uses a primary classroom in addition to two general classrooms and the Science Laboratory.  

It stresses: "The capacity of the school, without taking into account the use of the primary classroom is 69.05%.  If the primary classroom is used in the calculation, the percentage capacity is 52.31 %.

"Not included in this calculation are 3 other rooms and the sports hall where usage is shared with the Primary department for itinerant specialist teachers, a room designated for ICT, also shared with Primary and the Technical room, of which it has exclusive use.  The level of usage for these rooms for the secondary department averages 1.5 days per week."

The education committee will vote on the school closure on Tuesday.