EDUCATION SERVICES COMMITTEE

TUESDAY 12 OCTOBER 1999 - 3 pm

 

Present:-  Councillor Robertson (A), Morrison (D), Moody, McCabe, Robertson (Y), Mulholland, Campbell, Father T Boyle, Church Representative and Mrs P Purdie, Parent Representative, Councillor Robertson (A), Convener, in the Chair.

 

In attendance:-  The Director of Education Services, the Director of Resource Services, Mr H McNeilly (for the Director of Legal and Support Services), the Director of Central Services and the Head of Property Services.

 

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Provost Roach, Councillors Calvert, Jackson, McGhee and Mitchell and Mr D Anderson, Teacher Representative.

 

Prior to the commencement of business, the Convener welcomed Mrs Patricia Purdie who had recently been elected as Parent Representative and he congratulated Mrs Purdie on her appointment to the Committee.

 

The following paragraphs are submitted for information only, having been dealt with under the powers delegated to the Committee.

 

1002      ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS                                                                                                         1002

 

The Director of Central Services referred to reports by the Director of Education Services (a) requesting the Committee to approve the commissioning of a specialist consultant to undertake a full condition survey of all education properties and (b) advising of offers received by Strathclyde Passenger Transport in respect of the transportation of St Mary’s Primary School pupils to temporary accommodation in St Columba’s High School.  The Convener indicated that consideration of item (a) was urgent to allow the issuing of tenders for the work without delay subject to approval of the funding arrangements and that consideration of item (b) was urgent to allow an offer to be accepted and the transport arrangements to be implemented at the earliest opportunity and he moved that both items be added to the Agenda.  This was unanimously agreed in terms of the relevant Standing Order.

 

1003      REVENUE BUDGET 1999/2000 - MONITORING REPORT                                                              1003

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 30 September 1999 by the Director of Resource Services on the position of the Revenue Budget 1999/2000 as at 15 September 1999.

NOTED

 

1004      CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000 - TECHNICAL PROGRESS                                                    1004

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 20 September 1999 by the Director of Education Services on the technical progress of the Capital Programme 1999/2000.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the technical progress of the Capital Programme 1999/2000 be noted;  and

(b)  That the Committee approve, in terms of the relevant Financial Regulations, an expenditure decrease of £9,765 in respect of the deletion of the mini gable detail to the PE block associated with Phase 5 of the works at Port Glasgow High School.

 

1005      CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000 - FINANCIAL POSITION                                                      1005

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 30 September 1999 by the Director of Resource Services on the financial position of the Capital Programme 1999/2000.

NOTED

 

1006      SCHOOL SECURITY PROGRAMME 1999/2000 - USE OF EMERGENCY POWERS                    1006

 

SUBMITTED:  Report by the Director of Education Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure under Standing Order 66(a) to authorise the acceptance of the lowest tender received for school security works, that by Wm Lafferty & Co Ltd with a limit on expenditure of £163,000.

NOTED

 

1007      PROVISION OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY -                                    1007

              THIN CLIENT NETWORK PILOT PROJECT IN SCHOOLS                                                                   

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 30 September 1999 by the Director of Education Services advising of a request received from Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools to participate in two pilot projects using Thin Client Technology within Port Glasgow High School and Oakfield Primary School, Greenock.

DECIDED:

(a)  That approval be given for the Council’s participation in the Thin Client Network pilot projects;

(b)  That approval be given for the installation of the network in Port Glasgow High School and Oakfield Primary School;  and

(c)  That it be remitted to the Director of Education Services to submit a report on the training and support which will be provided for the project by both the Council’s Information Technology Services and the SCET.

 

1008      THE EDUCATION (LOWER PRIMARY CLASS SIZES) (SCOTLAND)                                           1008

              REGULATIONS 1999                                                                                                                                 

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated September 1999 by the Director of Education Services advising of the introduction on 28 April 1999 of new regulations which govern class sizes at primary 1, 2 and 3 stages, setting out the position in Inverclyde Schools as at August 1999 and seeking approval for the use of class size reduction monies from the Excellence  Fund to fund replacement of the hutments at Ardgowan Primary School and for the issue of tender documents for the work.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the Committee note the introduction on 28 April 1999 of the Education (Lower Primary Class Sizes) (Scotland) Regulations 1999;

(b)  That approval be granted for the use of class size reduction monies from the Excellence Fund to replace the hutments at Ardgowan Primary School;

(c)  That authority be granted to the Director of Central Services in consultation with the appropriate Officers to arrange for the invitation of tenders for the construction of the new unit and demolition of the existing hutments;  and

(d)  That it be noted that acceptance of the lowest offers will be in accordance with Order 12 of the Standing Orders relating to Contracts and the provisions of the Financial Regulations.

 

1009      “IMPROVING OUR SCHOOLS” - CONSULTATION ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF                    1009

              THE SCOTTISH EDUCATION BILL - RESPONSE BY INVERCLYDE COUNCIL                                

 

It was noted that this item had been withdrawn from the Agenda and would be considered at a Special Meeting of the Committee on 27 October 1999, to which all Members had been invited.

 

1010      EXPANSION OF SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES WITH VERY YOUNG CHILDREN                          1010

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 4 October 1999 by the Director of Education Services seeking approval of a plan appended to the report which sets out an extended range of development proposals to meet the SEED aims and objectives for an expansion of support to families with very young children.

DECIDED:  That the proposals for the development of support for families with very young children detailed in the Appendix to the report be approved for submission to the SEED.

 

1011      ST MARY’S PRIMARY SCHOOL - EMERGENCY MEASURES                                                     1011

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated October 1999 by the Director of Education Services advising of the action taken under emergency authority granted in terms of Section 2 of the Financial Regulations to relocate the pupils of St Mary’s Primary School, Greenock following the closure of the school and providing estimates of the costs of the temporary closure.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the arrangements put in place for the relocation of St Mary’s Primary School pupils to St Ninian’s, St Laurence’s and Sacred Heart Primary Schools and the longer term plan for the temporary relocation of St Mary’s Primary School in the surplus accommodation of St Columba’s High School be noted;

(b)  That the estimated costs of these arrangements as they affect the Education Services Revenue Budget be noted;  and

(c)  That the Committee’s appreciation of the efforts of all staff involved in the relocation of the pupils be recorded.

 

1012      EDUCATION PROPERTY CONDITION SURVEY                                                                           1012

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated October 1999 by the Director of Education Services advising of the circumstances giving rise to a requirement to undertake a comprehensive condition survey of the Council’s education properties, at an estimated cost of £200,000 and recommending that the Policy and Strategy Committee be requested to provide the necessary funding.

DECIDED:

(a)  That approval be granted to the Head of Property Services in consultation with the Director of Education Services to commission a specialist consultant to undertake a full condition survey of all education properties in Inverclyde;

(b)  That the Policy and Strategy Committee be requested to provide the necessary funding of £200,000;

(c)  That authority be granted to the Director of Central Services in consultation with the appropriate Officers to arrange for the invitation of tenders for the provision of the survey and that delegated authority be granted to the Director of Central Services in the usual manner to accept the lowest offer received, subject to the necessary funding being in place and final approval being granted by the Policy and Strategy Committee;  and

(d)  That a report be submitted to the Cross Party Working Group on the detailed brief for the project.

 

1013      RESOLUTION:  EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS                                                                  1013

 

On the motion of the Convener it was agreed unanimously that, in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the undernoted item of business on the grounds that consideration of the item involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 6 and 8 of Part I of Schedule 7(A) of the Act.

 

1014      ST MARY’S PRIMARY SCHOOL - EMERGENCY ARRANGEMENTS FOR                                 1014

              SCHOOL TRANSPORT                                                                                                                              

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated October 1999 by the Director of Education Services advising of offers received by Strathclyde Passenger Transport in respect of the transportation of St Mary’s Primary School pupils to temporary accommodation in St Columba’s High School and seeking approval to accept the offer which had been assessed as best meeting the cost and operational requirements of the exercise.

DECIDED:  That it be remitted to the Director of Education Services to accept the offer received from Arriva on the basis outlined in the report.