Don’t confuse safety concern with special treatment

Mar 6 2008

Having just read last week’s ‘Letter of the Week’ in the Advertiser, I am outraged at the comments made by J. McGhie, who claims to be a parent.

As a parent of pupils from St John the Baptist Primary School in Uddingston currently decanted to Hamilton, I feel obliged to remind the writer that our children are not familiar with the area and their safety is paramount to all concerned.

As far as the previous decant is concerned I cannot comment upon supervision facilities being utilised, but perhaps this person ought to get his/her facts in order prior to writing to the newspaper.

The children have stationary supervisors and not 27 crossing patrols as stated. This in itself would be ridiculous.

By law, the Brandon Street crossing must utilise two crossing patrol persons due it being a dual carriageway. To think that the previous parents allowed one lollipop person at the time of their decant is astonishing, if not untrue altogether.

Parents and pupils of St John the Baptist School are a far cry from receiving preferential treatment to facilitate this decant (this was the last thing we wanted).

But as concerned parents we have taken the appropriate measures with South Lanarkshire Council’s education and roads departments to ensure safety of our children.

One more point, J. McGhie. The schoolchildren you speak of are from Hamilton and I am sure you, yourself, would have been none too happy if your child had to be bussed to Uddingston and expected to do the same journey twice-a-day in all weathers. Your comments have upset many people and you have not shown yourself in a very civil light.

As a parent I hope that the safety measures taken for this decant will, indeed, set a precedent for future decants to the school.

Pamela Morrison, letter sent by e-mail.