The Glenkens Community and Arts Trust (GCAT) hosted an Education and Learning event in the Glenkens last week (July 11th), on behalf of the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan Steering Group. The event was set in the context of the Community Action Plan goal that the Glenkens will be a connected, resilient and carbon neutral place, where people will want to live, work and bring up their families.

The Glenkens and District Community Action Plan Steering Group is pleased to announce a significant event focused on the future of education and lifelong learning in remote-rural Scotland.

Glenkens and District Trust has appointed the community research organisation, CoDeL, to research and report on developments in rural education

In light of the recent press coverage of cost per pupil for Dalry Secondary, the school’s Parent Council felt it was important to give some balance to the figure; a figure which it is felt is not entirely accurate, and which has been taken out of context.

March saw Dumfries and Galloway Council Elected Members approve a Motion to halt the mothballing of any secondary schools across the region until a robust policy on mothballing was created that took into account the wider socio-economic impacts of such a decision.

Over the past few months communities across the Glenkens have been galvanised into action as a result of the proposed recommendation by D&G Education Department to mothball Dalry Secondary.

United community action has successfully halted Council plans to mothball Dalry Secondary School without consultation.

Call for Dumfries and Galloway Council Elected Members to vote in favour of the Motion from Dougie Campbell and Andy McFarlane calling for an immediate cessation of the mothballing of secondary schools and for the development of a region-wide mothballing policy that takes account of the socio-economic implications of such a decision.

No school means be careful the post office, surgery, garage and arts centre next and then an oldie lonely community with just a few contractors coming in looking after the trees and wind farms.

Call for Dumfries and Galloway Council Elected Members to vote in favour of the Urgent Motion calling for an immediate moratorium on the mothballing policy for schools and for community impact to be embedded in a future mothballing policy.

The accelerated process being followed by Dumfries and Galloway Council Education Department to mothball Dalry Secondary School without any considerations of the short, medium and longer term impacts on the wider Glenkens community has been highlighted by the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan Steering Group.

Council officials defy local opinion. Education officials are to ignore the results of a recent public consultation and are recommending that Dalry Secondary School should be mothballed after the summer holidays.

Kells had a busy festive period, Christmas concert, singing carols for LING lunches as well as doing Christmas crafts, learning about the story of Christmas and writing poetry around the subject!

The results of the survey carried out from 11th December - 8th January have been published ahead of the meeting due to take place on Monday 29th January.

Local schools affect all our communities in a myriad of ways, from providing a focus for community cohesion, to engendering the feeling that our communities are thriving and have a bright future. This survey is not just for parents, but for everyone in the Glenkens!

Following the recent consultation for closure of Carsphairn Primary, Dumfries & Galloway Council's Learning and Education Directorate is recommending that the Education Committee vote on 28 March to continue the current mothballed status for up to two years.