A report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of education (HMIe) into the effectiveness of Scotland's 32 local education authorities says more has to be done to rationalise the school estate.

It claims that councillors may be backing down from taking decisions to close or merge schools because of considerable community opposition to such proposals.

A leading member of the Moray Save Our Schools Forum has attacked the HMIe for putting undue pressure on local authorities and "overstepping its remit."

Dr Charles Bestwick, of Rothiemay, is concerned that the comments by HMIe could have some influence on the current Moray schools review process.

Nine schools across Moray are undergoing a first stage review after their rolls dropped below a Moray Council 60% occupancy trigger.

A report is due to go before elected members in April when a second stage review could be triggered at some or all of the schools, and at that stage closure or merger could become an option.

"I do find the HMIe position disturbing in the way that local democracy is being influenced by them as an outside agency," said Dr Bestwick.

HMIe has previously criticised Moray Council for perceived slow progress in dealing with its particular over-capacity issue, although the local authority rejected that criticism and insisted it had carried out a widescale public consultation on the issue.

Dr Bestwick added: "There is a degree of consternation as to why HMIe feels it needs to make these comments.

"It appears to want rationalisation and closures and yet when councils say they are coming under pressure from HMIe, it turns round and says this is not the case and it is up to individual councils."

Dr Bestwick said the Scottish Rural Schools Network, of which the Moray forum is a member, is considering whether to make a formal complaint over the HMIe report.

Members of the rural schools network, including two Moray representatives, are due to meet education minister Hugh Henry at the Scottish Parliament next month.

"We do feel that this (HMIe) foray into the sizing of the school estate and capacity (of schools) is clouding its own judgement and it seems to be ignoring the educational advantage of the rural and small school network."

He claimed the inspectorate had put forward no evidential justification for its drive towards rationalisation, whereas the schools network has provided research and evidence to back up support for smaller schools.

The nine schools under review locally are Logie, Cabrach, Crossroads, East End, Inveravon, Knockando, Portknockie, St Peter's and Tomintoul.

"We feel this (HMIe report) could have an impact on the current review process, although we hope it doesn't, and we have to be worried that they could influence some people's decisions."

The report claimed that some authorities had tackle the issue with foresight and demonstrated the advantages of new accommodation and allayed fears about loss of quality when schools amalgamate.

It adds that slow progress in some areas could not be attributed to weaknesses in planning for education provision or failures to identify opportunities for improved management.

"Rather, it reflects the difficulties inherent in a process set firmly in a local political context," the report adds.

Moray Council has always insisted that closure of schools was a last resort and education chairman Councillor Alasdair Urquhart said that remained the case. He said the HMIe report simply reflected the "very difficult situation" that local authorities find themselves in.

"On the one hand we have parents and pressure groups saying 'Keep rural schools open' and on the other hand we have HMIe, Audit Scotland and the Scottish Executive saying we have to be more responsible in how we deal with our school estate.

"It places us in a difficult dicotomy in trying to balance the needs of local communities against the requests made by HMIe.

"It doesn't put any new pressure on us because there has always been pressure on us from HMIe. They will revisit us in February and the first thing they will ask is what we have done about school rationalisation."

Councillor Urquhart said the council's corporate approach to the review of the future of schools below the 60% trigger was a sensible way to move forward.

c.saunderson@northern-scot.co.uk

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