Parents in Dalry are fighting to save their village's secondary school, which is set to become one of Scotland's smallest – if not the smallest – under plans proposed by Dumfries and Galloway Council. The move comes despite a council decision just 12 months ago to abandon plans for "mothballing" any of the region's secondary schools.
The current Dalry Secondary School caters for S1 to S4 pupils, but pupil numbers have been in freefall, with only eight projected to attend when term begins in August. That's down from a capacity of 248 students, sparking concerns about staffing and resources. Despite previous assurances that the school would remain open, the council now says closure is the most "appropriate response" due to difficulties in delivering a broad curriculum and the significant running costs associated with such a small student body.
Parent council chair Anne McEwan expressed her disappointment at the lack of alternative proposals, saying: "The current situation in Dalry was an opportunity for Dumfries and Galloway Council to innovate and lead the way on rural education. Instead, we're faced with closure as the only option." She highlighted the unique challenges posed by rural school closures, including the impact on community cohesion.
The council's report states that all "reasonable alternatives" have been considered, but parents are urging councillors to reject the closure and explore viable options for keeping the school open. A six-week consultation period is now underway, followed by a report from Education Scotland on the educational impact of the proposed closure.