Border Telegraph | News | `Our school is the best ever`

Tuesday, 6th January, 2009

Published: Tuesday, 18th October, 2005 10:33

`Our school is the best ever`

By Border Telegraph Newsroom

A PUPIL at Channelkirk Primary School has pleaded with Scottish Borders Council not to close her school.

The primary seven pupil has written an open letter to the Border Telegraph, following a packed formal consultation meeting on the future of the school in Oxton village hall last Tuesday.

The meeting, organised by SBC’s director of education Glenn Rodger and chaired by education portfolio holders Val Robson and Andrew Farquhar, gave local residents a chance to listen to proposals and air their grievances.

Several questions were asked by members of the public.

But questions from the large number of Channelkirk pupils who attended were restricted to five minutes at the end of the meeting.

Now one P7 pupil has spoken of her fears that the school will be merged with Lauder Primary.

The girl, called Elizabeth, said: “I have been in Channelkirk Primary since P.1 and I am now in P.7. It is the BEST school ever. The work is hard but is made fun, and everyone loves it here.

“There is a football field, a big playground, and this year we have even got new laptops. If Channelkirk were to close, children would have to go to Lauder, which is five miles away.

“They would have to get on a bus with no supervision bar the driver, who is driving. Now we are talking about four year olds getting on a bus, and remembering to put their seat belt on.”

The youngster added: “Quite often I go to After School Care Club and so do quite a lot of people. That would not be possible if we were to go to Lauder. Think of all those people that could not work after three o’clock.

“We have a lovely big sports field just two minutes away. That would barely get used if we went to Lauder.”

She continued: “Everyone here likes riding their bikes and walking to school. I even know someone who walks to school, whether it is raining, snowing or sunny.

“Someone said at the meeting last Tuesday that bigger schools are better, but we find that we get a lot of individual attention. Other friends that have come to this school have said it was much better than their last school.

“Our school has something very special about it. Several generations have gone through the school, we all love it and never want it to close.”

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