In 1989, the Autumn of Nations took place which culminated in the destruction of the Berlin Wall. Massive change occured almost overnight throughout Eastern Europe and the division between Communism and Capitalism began to fade after years of mutual suspicion. The 1989 revolution which saw the overthrow of the Eastern Bloc had been
quietly simmering away for years and so the people needed little
encouragement to get involved when events began to unfold. The images of
people playing their own part in the demise of the Berlin Wall which
had symbolised such stark division will stay with me forever mainly
because my generation thought we'd never see it happen.
The Arab Spring of 2010 was a rather different affair. Different because of the way in which it was spread. In the 21 years since the events which took place in Eastern Europe, a lot had changed in the world. Arguably, one of the biggest changes was the rise of the internet. With that came the birth of social media. It was this ground breaking invention which would underpin the political change which was to take place throughout much of the Arab world. North Africa in particular was the recipient of the early events and several heads of state went on to seek their futures elsewhere. To see so many people mobilised by the mobile phones in their pockets confirmed that a new world order was here to stay and that anything was now possible.
This week, I have witnessed the power of social media in the town where I live. The scale might be smaller but the principle remains the same. In their wisdom, the local council who seem obsessed with new buildings have proposed the closure of two faith schools within Denbighshire in order to build a new one. The two existing schools on their existing sites are perfectly adequate and fit for purpose. Logic alone dictates that they would already have been closed if this were not the case. St. Brigids in Denbigh is a great school run by enthusiastic staff. Children from all sorts of backgrounds some with no faith clearly enjoy the experience which this school affords them. Previously run by nuns, this school has become a credit to the town attaining standards which other schools could scarcely hope for. We recently attended their fun day and were impressed with the camaraderie of all involved - staff and pupils alike.
Their campaign to save the school has been played out through a combination of the social media and the local press. As I write, many hundreds are attending a prayer vigil to emulate the practice of the nuns of yesteryear. This school deserves to carry on in its own format because you don't need to be an Ofsted inspector to see how cohesive and effective it is. I sincerely hope that social media can play its part in saving this local gem thus guaranteeing the education of these children for many years to come.
Although not all children at St. Brigids profess a faith, many do. I can't express strongly enough the value of faith in the young. And in the old when it comes to that. Faith gives people a direction when they often need it the most. I would like to know how many of the local councillors who support this wasteful proposition attend church themselves? I think I know the answer. I'd expect to find them not in a church but rather on a golf course or in a shopping centre.
With this in mind, I have a radical proposition for the future of St. Brigids and Blessed Edward Jones' in Rhyl. If the councillors are so keen to have the children housed in a more modern facility for their education, the solution seems obvious. A few years ago, the local council saw fit to admit the supermarket chain Safeway in to the town on the site of the old livestock market, Part of the deal was that the supermarket had to build new council offices just above the new supermarket - handy because it enables council employees to walk not in to the town for their lunch but in to the supermarket instead, Needless to say, this move was not widely beneficial for the shops on the High Street but then we all knew that didn't we?
The existing school where St. Brigids is sited would make the most beautiful council offices. Set in a stunning country location, the new location would enable the council employees to benefit from a nice long walk in to the town centre to give them a bit of exercise at lunchtime. Meanwhile, the plush council building next door to the supermarket seems tailor made to serve as a faith school. Since many of the pupils are from the Catholic faith, this move would move them closer to the Catholic Church situated just above the existing council offices. This would remove the need to build a new school and keep all the people involved in the same town but in each others' buildings.
The alternative is for enough to people to vent their anger through social media and the local press to force an outbreak of common sense among the councillors charged with making these absurd decisions. A good friend of mine last week warned that it was a fait accompli. He might be right but that doesn't stop us all from fighting them all the way. We are not obliged to make it easy for them and nor should we! Of all the arguments I have seen proposing the decision to relocate the school to a new site, not one of them has the slightest logic or sense. Why am I not surprised?
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