Pubdate: Sun,  4 Jun 2000
Source: Daily Record and Sunday Mail (UK)
Copyright: 2000 Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd.
Contact:  Anderston Quay, Glasgow, Scotland, G3 8DA
Website: http://www.record-mail.co.uk/rm/

PRIMARY JUNKIES 

Parents' Fury Over Drug Unit At School

WORRIED parents are threatening to pull their children out of classes
if plans to set up a drop-in centre for drug addicts at their school
go ahead.

They fear pupils at Girvan Primary will come into daily contact with
junkies, alcoholics and other problem cases and want the controversial
Stepping Stones centre scrapped.

The "social inclusion" scheme is aimed at teaching essential, everyday
skills - such as cooking and managing money - to the most vulnerable
members of society.

But parents believe that will mean drug users, paedophiles and violent
criminals being allowed access to the school building, which also
houses a nursery class for kids as young as four.

And they have told education chiefs that they may start a boycott of
the school if the Stepping Stones project goes ahead.

In a letter to South Ayrshire Council, parents demand to know: "Will
the social inclusion project directly exclude drug addicts,
alcoholics, sex offenders, people with histories of violence and
criminal records?"

They are still waiting for an answer.

Project bosses insist the school will be made "more secure than ever",
though it is admitted that people using the drop-in centre will cross
the playground. But Stepping Stones director Isobel Lawson said that
was "not an issue".

Parent Shona Kyle, who has two children at Girvan Primary and a three-
year-old who will start nursery after the summer, said she and other
parents are not against the drop-in centre, but that it should not be
housed in a school.

She said: "Of course there will be drug addicts and alcoholics using
this centre because it's a social inclusion centre.

"The managers of the project have reassured us that there will be a
sealed-off entrance to the school and more staff. But they can't
segregate the playground.

"Potentially, we'll have very undesirable people crossing the
playground and coming into contact with my children."

Until building work is complete at the school, Stepping Stones is
based at old council buildings in the town's Dalrymple Street.

Mrs Kyle said: "I know that these people need to go somewhere. But why
can't they stay in the council building well away from the primary
school?"

Local Tory councillor Ian Fitzsimmons supports the parents. He said:
"I wouldn't like to have my children there and not know who was
walking in and out of the school."
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