St Joseph's Parents To Protest At Council HQ

Campaigners fighting to save Milngavie's only Catholic school from closure are planning to protest outside East Dunbartonshire Council HQ, in Kirkintilloch.

The controversial plan to close St Joseph's primary school, and relocate the children to Bearsden, will be debated at a special
meeting of the full council at 6pm on Thursday evening.

East Dunbartonshire Council's formal consultation generated a huge response, with over 500 people taking part. 83 per cent opposed the proposal to close St Joseph's.

Education Scotland found that parents, pupils and teachers at both St Joseph's and St Andrew's oppose merger and a petition to save the
school has now soared past 1,700 signatures.

St Joseph's Parent Council Chair, Laureen McIntyre, said "East Dunbartonshire Council has already brought hundreds of people
out onto the streets to protest against its school closure plans and we expect to see a big turnout in Kirkintilloch.

"It simply beggars belief that they are pushing ahead with a plan that is opposed by parents, pupils and teachers at both St Joseph's and St Andrew's.

"Furthermore, East Dunbartonshire Council's own officers concluded that closure would potentially constitute indirect discrimination
against Catholics in Milngavie.

"No Council in Scotland in the 21st Century should be pursuing discriminatory policies or spending nearly £9 million on a project
that nobody wants.

"Councillors also need to understand that we are not going away. Whatever happens on Thursday evening our fight will go on."