Highland Council rethinks unpopular janitor plan
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A POLICY that removed full-time janitors from dozens of Highland primary schools is being reviewed.
Members of the council’s education, children and adult services committee have agreed to re-examine the decision, which redeployed full-time janitors into a centralised team to cover all schools.
Despite protests from parents, teachers and unions, primary schools lost their dedicated janitors and instead had to share staff with other schools. It was put in place to bring more consistency as some smaller schools had no cover and teachers were having to do the odd jobs.
The new way of working was rolled out to all areas except North Sutherland and Caithness and Lochaber.
But a report this week from the council’s head of resources Brian Porter called for a review of the process before it is extended to those areas.
It was meant to be cost neutral but higher staffing and travel costs, training, tools, equipment and provision of ongoing playground supervision had contributed to increased spend in Ross-shire, which amounted to £324,000.
At the committee meeting yesterday (Wednesday), members agreed to stall the roll-out until the review has been completed.
Inverness South SNP councillor Ken Gowans raised questions over the scheme, saying it must be difficult for a facilities manager to capture the janitor’s vast knowledge of the school.
Committee chairman Alasdair Christie said the introduction was actually a good thing because it meant that schools were no longer left in the lurch if a janitor went on sick leave.
