A national organisation dedicated to protecting and improving outdoor sports and play areas has sought assurances from Dundee City Council about a shared campus for two primary schools, writes Brian Allison, local Government reporter.
The council has agreed to go ahead with controversial plans to create a shared campus for St Joseph's primary school and Park Place primary and nursery on the site of the former Harris Academy annexe in Blackness Road.
The views of parents on the scheme are sharply divided, with those of pupils at Park Place generally in favour while many of the St Joseph's parents are against it.
There were angry scenes at last week's meeting of the education committee, which endorsed the plan, with opponents shouting that they had been lied to by the council.
Now the matter has been raised with Fields in Trust (FIT), which was formerly the National Playing Fields Association.
Scottish manager of FIT, Colin Rennie, said they had been contacted by a number of parents concerned that the new site might be too small to allow proper play and outdoor sports provision.
Mr Rennie has written to director of education Jim Collins asking for details of how the council intends to meet the requirements of the school premises regulations in relation to outdoor sports and play provision at the site.
"Our organisation would caution against seeking a waiver to obtain a level of provision less than is required by the regulations," he said.
"Our message to the council is not to take this matter lightly," he said.
"Given the appalling levels of childhood obesity throughout the country it is something all councils should take seriously."
He said taking part in sports and exercise provided not just physical benefits for children but also social and psychological ones as well.
FIT is the only independent UK-wide organisation with a mission to protect and improve outdoor spaces and facilities for sports and play.
Its intention is to ensure that people of all ages have somewhere nearby to go for healthy, outdoor activities.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
"National body concerned at shared school ground"
An article in The Courier on 21 May 2009 reported on the correspondence between Fields in Trust and Dundee City Council. The article is not available on The Courier's website, so it has been transcribed here:
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The Logie site is just perfect if your view your children as lethargic hamsters who need the latest in wireless broadband, but can anyone recommend where I should send my children if I felt they deserved a school that met the minimum regulatory requirements with regard to space and playing field provision?
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't the education department doing their duty by my child at st. Josephs. They are supposed to provide the best - well at least that is what I now realise that all the spouting they do is just jargon and fluff and nothing else. What a shock to learn that they dont care in the least.
ReplyDeleteDoes FIT have any legal clout in these matters? If so this is excellent.
ReplyDeleteJust wondered how the meeting went on Sunday? Didn't see anything in the press....
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