Parents, staff and students to protest against Paisley college nursery closure

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Staff, parents and students are set to gather for a protest against the closure of a Paisley nursery on Tuesday.West College Scotland previously announced plans to close the nursery schools at both its Paisley and Greenock campuses as well as scaling back its catering services on all its sites.The Paisley facility, which is located within the Renfrew Road campus, looks after youngsters of both students and locals.Union bosses have slammed the decision by the college, saying “If the need hasn’t gone away, why should the services?” as they continue the fight to save two nursery schools.The two largest trade unions in Scotland, UNISON and UNITE, who represent early years workers and catering staff, are calling for college bosses to reverse their decision and give serious consideration to alternative options.Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire.

Sign up to our newsletters here.Now, in response to the closure threats, demonstrations of staff, parents, students and local people will take place at the college’s Paisley campus at 3pm tomorrow.UNISON regional organiser, Lorcan Mullen said: “These are both much-loved nursery schools in Greenock and Paisley and they are a lifeline for local communities.“Closing them would not only impact on the children and families who already use the service but also put up a barrier for parents returning to education.“And to cut catering provision at a time when students are beginning to return to campuses makes no sense at all.

If the need hasn’t gone away, then why should the services?“We are urging college chiefs to halt their plans and keep these nurseries open and properly consider alternative proposals with parents, students and the local community.”Alison Maclean,