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Nurseries likely to close after Glasgow council vote

Only three out of 23 nurseries and primary schools in Glasgow earmarked for closure have been saved, following the local authority's decision to go ahead and close the rest.

Labour councillors voted 31 to six last week for closing 11 primary schools and nine nurseries because they claimed they have falling rolls and poor facilities.

However, three settings - Shawbridge Nursery in Pollokshaws, Nithsdale Road Nursery in Pollokshields, and Ruchill Primary School - have been reprieved.

A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said, 'The final decision on the closures still has to be taken at a full council meeting on 23 April.'

The council has a Labour majority, so it is expected that the closures will be agreed at the full council meeting. If so, the closure plan will be implemented from August.

The Glasgow Save Our Schools campaign is planning to blockade the council building on the night of the full meeting to prevent councillors attending and stop the meeting going ahead.

Richie Venton, organiser of the Glasgow Save Our Schools campaign, told Nursery World, 'We welcome the reprieve for the three. I believe the united and ferocious campaign the parents have organised has been instrumental in making the council change its mind.'

But he added, 'It is a pathetic sop to the thousands of people who are fighting these closures.'

Parents have staged a sit-in at two of the schools marked for closure. Up to 20 protesters have been occupying Wyndford and St Gregory's primary schools in the Maryhill area of Glasgow since 3 April (News, 16 April).

Mr Venton said the parents were told that if they did not leave before school started on Monday, their children would not be allowed to enter the school and would be bussed to alternative schools when they arrived.