Council pulls adult classes at school campus after backlash leads to protests

A Scottish council has announced it will no longer run adult English classes on a shared school campus after an online backlash led to protests at the gates.

The education hub in Renfrew includes St James' Primary school, a nursery and a separate community learning centre with its own entryways and toilets.

The centre had been used for provision of English classes for adults. However, this has been ended in response to a backlash to footage shared on social media of men outside the premises during the school day.

This led to claims by some posters that asylum-seeking men were being educated alongside children in the school, with protesters appearing outside the premises.

A message has now been sent to parents of children at the school and nursery informing them that the adult classes will be relocated.

Renfrewshire Council said: “The school building is home to a community learning facility, which is used by a wide range of different community groups for classes, during school hours. This is common practice in many schools.

“Access to the community learning facility is securely managed by staff from the community learning centre. The school and nursery themselves are behind secure-entry doors which are manged by school staff.

“One of the groups which use the community learning facility is a group who receive English language classes. They are supported by council staff and facilitated while on the premises by community learning staff.

“To avoid any further disruption to the school, this group and similar groups’ use of the community learning facility is being paused and alternative locations will be found.

“We have written to parents and carers at the school to offer reassurance over how access to the building is managed.”