Professor Frank Walsh blasts proposed closure of St Matthew’s Primary

Feb 3 2010 by Robert Mitchell, Wishaw Press

A PROFESSOR who attended primary school in Craigneuk and went on to study under a Nobel Prize winner has blasted council plans to axe St Matthew’s Primary.

Neuroscientist Frank Walsh went to St Patrick’s Primary – which amalgamated into St Matthew’s – and says providing an education in the community is essential to giving youngsters the best possible start in life.

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and King’s College London, he has received honorary degrees from the Universities of Perugia and Bologna in Italy, and the University of Strathclyde. He trained under Nobel prize winner Marshall Nirenberg in America and believes children in Craigneuk and Wishawhill should be given the same opportunities he had.

Professor Walsh, who was born in 1953, was back visiting family in Wishaw last week and said: “I am strongly against this proposal that does not make logical sense from either an educational, community or long-term planning point of view.

“Local primary education is the cornerstone of Scottish education and has led to the worldwide view that education in Scotland is of the highest quality and offers pupils a path to personal advancement.

“I was born and raised in Craigneuk and educated at primary level there.

“The local education I received gave me a fantastic start in life via the committed teachers I encountered. As such I was the first person in our extended family ever to have attended a university. My considerable personal academic achievements – having been appointed a Professor, Dean of Research and now Director of Research for Kings Health Partners which manages healthcare for over two million Londoners – is a direct consequence of the local education that I received.

“I believe that the people of Craigneuk and Wishawhill require a local school that is intimately linked to the local community. Bussing children to other locations breaks that link to the community, is a disincentive as communication links are poor and makes it difficult for parents who may not have transportation to interact effectively with the school. As such I believe it would have a detrimental negative effect on the educational achievements of pupils.

“The long and positive impact St Matthew’s has had on the community and the ultimate destination and careers of many pupils is a testament to the value that this model of education has had over decades. Breaking this strong community link will have negative consequences on an area of Scotland that suffers from a large amount of deprivation.”

The Wishaw Press has already revealed that axing St Matthew’s Primary could have a catastrophic effect on Roman Catholic education in the area as denominational schools may be stretched to the limit.

If the Wishawhill primary school is shut down, then at least some children will be sent to St Thomas’ Primary in Pather – and North Lanarkshire Council have detailed plans for around 1500 homes to be built in that catchment area.

Closing St Matthew’s would also mean St Thomas’ catchment zone stretching to the edge of the new £1billion Ravenscraig development – which could hold 3500 properties, according to the council’s own website.

However, the three nearest denominational schools on the Motherwell side of Ravenscraig are expected to be either over or near full capacity next year.

The implications of the Ravenscraig development are not lost on Professor Walsh, who added: “The plan for closure is also being proposed at a time when the area is likely to get a boost by new house building on the Ravenscraig site. The families relocating there will need education and it seems extremely short-sighted to be closing a school in a place that will have increased needs in only a few years.

“I am extremely concerned about the closure proposal. From any standpoint I can think of it does not make economic or educational sense. The losers will be the pupils and people in the area and as such I add my full support to the campaign to stop the closure proposal.”

Councillors are expected to vote on the closure of St Matthew’s some time in March, though an exact date has still to be settled on.