A HIGHLY controversial plan by the leadership of the Highland Council to close up to 10 primaries was wrecked yesterday by councillors determined to keep the small rural school a feature of the modern Highlands, writes David Ross, Highland Correspondent.
Over recent weeks, opinion has been polarised within the council as to whether the closures should go ahead to allow major reinvestment in other parts of the service.
But in the end councillors voted yesterday to close just two schools, and neither closure was controversial.
The closure of Kensaleyre School, which sits on the main Portree/Uig road on Skye, and the transfer of pupils to Macdiarmid Primary about four miles away, was unopposed.
Councillors also unanimously agreed to close Loch Choire School, which lies 12 miles up a rough track in the depths of inland Sutherland. But it will not close until the year 2000 when its sole pupil will transfer to Golspie High.
Two weeks ago the education committee also rejected the closure of the 43-pupil Mulbuie on the Black Isle; the 56-pupil Newmore near Invergordon; and the 56-pupil Episcopalian denominational Bishop Eden's Primary in Inverness.
Education chairman Val MacIver herself moved the retention of the 16-pupil Inverasdale Primary in Wester Ross and the 25-pupil Tore Primary on the Black Isle.
But the education committee had voted by 20 to 17 to close Achnasheen with the transfer of the seven pupils to Strathgarve 17 miles to the east; and for the closure of Kilmonivaig (Spean Bridge) and Roy Bridge and their merger in a new school at Spean Bridge.
That was the battleground yesterday. Local councillor Norman Cameron led the fight to reprieve Achnasheen. He said the Secretary of State had to give permission for the closure of a primary school if it meant the children travelling more than five miles, but in Achnasheen's case it was more than three times that distance, 16 or 17 miles.
''That means them travelling 6630 miles a year. The road has been upgraded but it is a problem in the winter time. It is exposed to high winds and drifting snow. The children will be away eight hours a day and I contend that is too long.''
Mr Cameron highlighted the social impact of such a closure. He quoted a letter from a resident of Achnasheen: ''Take away the school and you take away the last tangible evidence of council support in Achnasheen, you will take away the heart of the community, it will cease to be a community just a scatter of houses alongside the A832.''
Achnasheen was saved by 37 votes to 30.
The Spean/Roy Bridge proposal was one which Mrs MacIver and council convener Peter Peacock saw as an absolute necessity, as a chance to get a new school. The two communities are just three miles apart and Kilmonivaig School is in urgent need of replacement. Roy Bridge is also in need of some upgrading and the proposal was to build one new school in Spean Bridge. It would have had a combined roll of around 70, a community wing, and possibly a library.
But all eight Lochaber councillors opposed the move. They pointed to the prospect of 90 new houses in Roy Bridge and stressed that the local community saw itself as distinct from Spean Bridge.
The council voted by 34 votes to 32 to retain Roy Bridge.
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