View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Friday 26 March 2010

Friday 26 March

Rain coming down all day, so it's quite simply an inside day. Except for a jaunt to the shop. Since the collapse of regional airline Highland Airways, our papers have to come on the ferry, meaning they're not in the shop until mid afternoon. Only the Press and Journal, which comes from Inverness, seems to be there in the morning. The P&J is a regional paper, covering the north of Scotland. The other papers come from Glasgow / Edinburgh or from London. The bankruptcy of HA has cost 100 people their jobs; a dozen have been kept on to look after the aircraft and passengers.

Pupils at a combined primary and secondary school in Castlebay, Barra, walked out of classes today in protest over the education standards at their school. For three years in a row, a Government inspection found standards lacking. Parents have passed a vote of no-confidence in the local education authority. Said authority has said all in the garden is fine - I wonder which sandy beach they have used for burying their heads in. One local councillor has said the Western Isles Council is unfit for purpose. Pupils only returned to their classes after they were threatened with cancellation of a schooltrip, later in the year, to Barcelona. Moves are afoot to involve the Education Secretary in the Scottish Government, which I think is very necessary.