The future of education in the Glenkens
This is a pivotal moment for the Glenkens. With Dumfries and Galloway Council Education Department proposing the closure of Dalry Secondary School, there is a lot of anxiety about what the future holds for our communities.
There is uncertainty about the impact not just on the education of our teenagers from August 2027 onwards but for the longer-term impact on our primary schools, on routes to employment, the area’s attractiveness to young families and our local economy.
There is frustration about how we’ve ended up at this point and real concern that the decisions that are being taken aren’t informed with an understanding of the wider impact that closure of a school will have in a rural community.
Here is what you can do now:
Let the council know what you think, by completing their formal consultation on the closure of Dalry Secondary School, before 10 October - Statutory consultation on the discontinuation of education provision at Dalry Secondary School.
Contact your local councillor to share your views and concerns.
Contact members of the Education Committee, who will be taking the decision, you can find them at: https://dumfriesgalloway.moderngov.co.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=626
Attend an open meeting on 26 October in Dalry Community Centre with HM Inspectorate for Education.
If Dalry Secondary closes, where do we go from here?
There is increasing concern about rural education across Dumfries and Galloway as well as in the Glenkens. Recent activity by D&G Council on their attempt to close nurseries in the region suggests we need to be more proactive in defending, protecting and strengthening rural education.
Building on the 2025 report on Education and Learning in the Glenkens for the Glenkens Community Action Plan Steering Group (you can find this on the Glenkens Hub at www.glenkens. scot under the 'Good to Know' tab), the communities of the Glenkens are taking matters into their own hands.
The Carsphairn Learning and Development Committee (CLaDC) are moving forward with plans to acquire the former primary school and repurpose it to meet the education and learning needs of the Carsphairn community.
With support from the Community Led Local Development Fund through Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway, the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) have appointed a development officer to take forward proposals for rural education in the Glenkens.
Over the coming months, GCAT will be:
Engaging with parents, teachers, head-teachers and education managers around what our rural education needs are.
Undertaking an options appraisal of areas where communities could provide wraparound support to the statutory provision of education preschool, primary & secondary and also where leavers and adult learning can be supported.
Considering ways to improve the relationship with D&G Council, to explore where we can constructively work with the council to deliver good long-term outcomes for the Glenkens. Working to understand local employers' needs for skills development, placements, internships, apprenticeships and recruitment.
We are aware that people have different views on what is needed and we’d very much encourage you to get in touch with our new Development Officer, Hayley McGaw, to share your thoughts, concerns and ideas.
Hayley is a weel-kent face in the Glenkens and has both the lived experience of going to Kells Primary and Dalry Secondary and also having contributed as a researcher to the D&G Council reports on depopulation.
You can contact Hayley on development@catstrand.com Between now and the end of March, we want to define what our communities need and develop a plan, hopefully in collaboration with D&G Council, to deliver the best long-term outcomes for education and learning for the communities of the Glenkens. We look forward to hearing from you.
Andrew McConnell, GCAT Chief Executive