23.05.1996

Mass action stops school closures

Glasgow

Glasgow council’s mass school closure programme is in ruins following the mass resistance and actions of the Save Our Schools campaign.

Two months ago the Labour council, unanimously supported by all their councillors, came up with a plan to shut 22 schools across the city in the hope of saving £2.6 million. They obviously thought they could force through these attacks on working class communities with little fuss. How wrong they were. Since their original announcement, a united Glasgow-wide movement, initiated by the Scottish Socialist Alliance, has developed, coordinating all the local school campaigns.

Many school occupations, demonstrations, protests and pickets have taken place. The results of such mass actions and protests are now being seen. Within the space of seven days two council meetings have seen the hit list cut from 22 schools to just five. At present, instead of closing 22 schools and saving £2.6 million, the closure of five schools will save the council just £395,000 - and the rationalisation exercise itself has cost £85,000.

However, campaigners are not giving up on the other five. It must be emphasised that this climb-down is not due to the goodwill of the Labour Party, but shows the disarray they are now in. It is a humiliating rout for the Labour council.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Dundee. At a special education committee meeting the Labour council approved its plans to close five schools in the city. Protesters attempted to stop the meeting taking place by occupying the council chambers and managed to disrupt it for an hour before the council called the police and had the demonstrators removed.

The Labour councillors are obviously trying to get their cuts through with as little fuss as possible. Most council committee meetings take place at 7.00pm, but this one was mysteriously called for 10.00am, thus denying many parents, pupils and teachers the opportunity to demonstrate their opposition. Another interesting development was the way the public gallery seats had been block-booked by Labour councillor Ian Luke to keep parents out of the meeting.

He bused in college students he was due to be teaching. Some of them seemed very bemused at the way they were being used to deny school campaigners a chance to watch the proceedings. This gerrymandering also occurred in Glasgow where the public gallery was stacked with council staff. Such is the Labour Party’s commitment to open and democratic local government.

The fight against school closures, council cuts and job losses will go on across Scotland. If Labour councillors are so convinced they have the backing of the communities then they should resign and stand for re-election. The Scottish Socialist Alliance pledges that the Labour Party will pay the electoral price for their attacks on jobs and services. It is committed to standing candidates in elections and will offer a genuine fighting socialist alternative, based on the needs of the people.

Andy McLean