Scottish Catholic Observer

In an extensive submission to North Lanarkshire Council’s recent consultation on school provision, the newly appointed Bishop of Motherwell—Bishop Joseph Toal—raised ‘significant concerns’ about the council’s ‘commitment to provide Catholic schooling’ and promised to ‘stand together with the Catholic community’ in opposing proposals which would dramatically reduce the number of Catholic schools in the diocese.

In a letter to the council, which accompanies a lengthy submission delivered to the chief executive today, Bishop Toal (above) says that proposals to alter the school estate provision have been ‘carefully considered, together with the consequences that these might have for the pupils, teachers, families and communities involved.’

“In the past few weeks the diocese has met representatives from schools, parishes and the local communities and I have listened to their views on the matter,” he said.

The formal response from Motherwell Diocese then lists a series of ‘significant concerns about what some of these proposals might suggest about the council’s commitment to provide Catholic schooling on an equitable basis within this diocese.’

The diocese is opposed to three particular proposals—a shared campus involving St Stephen’s Primary School, Coatbridge, a shared campus in Airdrie, involving the merger of St Dominic’s Primary School and St Edward’s Primary School and a non-denominational school and the merger of Taylor High School and Our Lady’s High School in Motherwell on Ravenscraig site.

The submission points out that at public meetings NLC officers claimed that larger secondary schools are necessary to ensure adequate curriculum provision. Yet, they are content to have non-denominational schools with rolls as small as 414 in one case and fewer than 700 in four other cases. Across the authority, Catholic secondary school rolls would be on average one third larger than non-denominational schools. This is highlighted by the diocese as ‘inequitable treatment of pupils attending Catholic schools.’

In asking for a reconsideration of their proposals, the bishop assures the council, ‘that the diocese will always be keen to work in partnership with the council to ensure the best provision of services to the community.’