Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Official Report 1110KB pdf

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Calderwood Lodge Primary School (60th Anniversary)

The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-11017, in the name of Jackson Carlaw, on Calderwood Lodge primary school’s 60th anniversary celebration. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament congratulates Calderwood Lodge Primary, the only Jewish school in Scotland, on reaching its 60th anniversary year; understands that the school was originally established by the Jewish community in a detached house, Calderwood Lodge, in the Newlands area of Glasgow, with an extension built as the school roll increased, and that it was initially run by the Glasgow Board of Jewish Education and subsequently taken over by Strathclyde Region, then Glasgow City Council, and finally East Renfrewshire Council; acknowledges that, in recognition of this milestone, the school is hosting a 60-year celebration event for current and past pupils, families and members of the wider community, with the day to include festivities and activities for children; understands that, in August 2017, Calderwood Lodge officially relocated from the school’s previous site in Newlands to a new building in Newton Mearns to become one half of the first Jewish-Catholic joint campus to be established anywhere in the world, alongside St Clare’s Primary; recognises that the joint campus was a £17 million development in East Renfrewshire, with the two primary schools sharing a central amphitheatre, sports pitches and an obstacle course that is located outdoors; notes that the Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, will be in attendance at the 60-year celebration event, and believes that Calderwood Lodge is an asset to East Renfrewshire and to Scottish education, that it is viewed with great pride by the Jewish community, and that the Jewish-Catholic joint primary school campus in Newton Mearns is a powerful example of two different faith groups working closely together whilst at the same time maintaining and adhering to their own religious identities.

17:59  

I begin by thanking, through clenched teeth, my colleagues for keeping me up past my bedtime before we have been able to start the debate this evening.

Before I do anything further, I immediately indicate that the debate is very much a joint effort by me and Paul O’Kane. He came to me and suggested that, given everything else that was happening in relation to the international situation, it would be nice for the Parliament to talk about something positive involving the Jewish community in Scotland, which raised their effort and contribution to society above all the division elsewhere.

That is the reason why we are having this debate. I mused to my team today, rather shooting myself in the foot, “Do you know, I hadn’t actually realised that Calderwood Lodge was founded only in the early 60s?” They said, “Well, that’s why you’re moving a motion congratulating them on their 60th anniversary,” which I suppose is a very obvious fact.

However, I said that more because—having commented before in the chamber that, when I was growing up, so many of my neighbours were Jewish—I can remember, as a five-year-old, that some of them went to Calderwood Lodge. Imagine my being told, as a five-year-old boy who was reading Enid Blyton at the time, that my friends were going to a place called Calderwood Lodge! It sounded very exciting, and it was in a place apparently called “New Lands”.

One of my friends said that they had met a very important man who was a teddy. I thought, “This is where I want to go.” That was Teddy Taylor, who had apparently visited the school. Whether people now—or then, or at any other time—would think that that was a highlight is a matter of conjecture. To me, however, my friends had a teddy, they were in a place called “New Lands”, and it was a lodge. It sounded so much more exciting than the school that I was at—Belmont House school—which was notorious for being the childhood home of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll. As members who know their history will understand, her reputation was slightly more racy than anything else.

Calderwood Lodge primary school was founded in the 1960s in Newlands, in Glasgow, and it was the first Jewish school in Scotland. One can imagine how small it must have been, because, at its inception, there was just one year group in one class. It took a number of years, with each year adding to the numbers, before it had a school roll.

The 60th anniversary celebration was delightful. It was much more modern, I would say, than the 50th anniversary celebration—that was a black tie dinner in the constituency, in the now-defunct Newton Mearns synagogue, which has since merged with the one in Giffnock. The 60th celebration was a morning tea party with the families of those who had been at the school. What was so nice was that it was not just the original pupils who were present—it was their children and their grandchildren, who were also going to the school.

There were a lot of activities and things going on to celebrate the occasion. Among those who were there was the former headmistress Dianna Wolfson, who had been a teacher and who spoke at the event. I have to say that it looked to me as though a shiver still went down the spine of some of the former pupils; I do not know how formidable an entity she must have been, but they certainly sat upright, with posture straight, and listened carefully when she was speaking.

Among the former pupils who were there was Gillian Field, who is the daughter of Henry and Ingrid Wuga. Henry Wuga, who will be known to many members, is 99 years old and heading for his centenary—he is the last of the Kindertransport survivors whom we have in the community.

The school has been absolutely central to the lives of so many of my constituents. Paul O’Kane will know more about this, because he was, in his former guise as a councillor in East Renfrewshire Council, responsible for education, and he actually opened the school when it moved to its new campus. The old school in Newlands has now been converted into flats. There are a few remaining—Patrick Harvie might want to know about that, given the housing crisis. The remaining flats are available from £415,000 to £575,000, so I do not know whether they are immediately available for access to everybody. The school buildings there are partly demolished, but the original house lives on.

The important thing, however, is that the school has now moved to the new campus. The tales of the people who were at the old school were much the same as the tales of any of us who have gone to school over the years. They had fancy-dress parties. I do not know whether this is true, but apparently it was suggested, for one such party, that the rabbi should come in fancy dress—rather imaginatively, he came as a rabbi, perhaps not entering fully into the spirit of the occasion. Those tales all featured the same kind of colour and activity.

Moreover, the school did not consist exclusively of Jewish pupils; there were other pupils there, too. In particular, the school was very generous in the support that it provided, and the effort that it went to, for disabled pupils. At a time when other schools might not have given quite the same level of support, it went to extraordinary lengths to make sure that, in a small school, disabled pupils, including severely disabled pupils, had a safe and secure environment.

The 60th anniversary was celebrated, and the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, was there for the occasion. It really is remarkable. The school was opened in 2017 by the Chief Rabbi and by Bishop John Keenan from Paisley. Is it a unique example in the world? It has two faiths working on a shared campus, with shared collective resources at its centre and other aspects that appeal to each of the different faiths. Much more importantly still, anyone who visits the campus will notice that, because many members of the Muslim population value a faith-based education, there are lots of Muslim pupils there, too, and they will see Jewish children, Catholic children and Muslim children playing together. It reminds me of lyrics from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific” that I quoted in a debate, perhaps a decade ago, on a different issue and which I find extremely apposite:

“You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught from year to year,
It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear,
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff’rent shade,
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You’ve got to be carefully taught!”

We are teaching all these young children to live together, to work together and to be educated together. Is it not through education and the example of Calderwood Lodge that Scotland’s real hope for community cohesion exists?

Congratulations to Calderwood Lodge. I salute and celebrate its 60th anniversary and wish all those who have been educated there, and all those who will be, every success in the future.

Thank you, Mr Carlaw, especially for that useful insight into fancy-dress party etiquette.

18:06  

It is an enormous pleasure to follow Jackson Carlaw and to offer him my congratulations on securing the debate and my thanks for lodging the motion.

While I am on my feet, in such difficult and challenging times in relation to international conflict, I will take the opportunity to commend Jackson Carlaw on the speech that he delivered to the Parliament yesterday. Although I did not agree with all of it, it was a thoughtful, reflective and gracious contribution—typical of Mr Carlaw, frankly—which I think enhanced our debate. I am grateful to have the opportunity to put that on the parliamentary record.

It gives me great pleasure to add my congratulations to Calderwood Lodge primary school on its 60th anniversary—the 60th anniversary of its being the only Jewish school in Scotland. When I listened to Mr Carlaw talk about the roots of the school, I reflected on how it is, in essence, a product of innovation in education and of a recognition 60 years ago that there was space in our education system for creative approaches to be taken by a community to ensure that this educational tradition could be established. We can now look at what has been created as a consequence: the new-build Calderwood Lodge primary school and the joint campus of which it is a part.

I know that members might be a bit sceptical when I say that my five years as education secretary were happy years. They were also challenging years, but there was a lot of joy in that time. I can see part of that joy reflected in some of what Calderwood Lodge is trying to achieve. The school’s vision is to

“empower our hearts and minds to develop the knowledge and skills, attitudes and values to be the best we can for our future, our community and our global environment.”

At the heart of the school’s aims is a desire to develop the school’s

“Jewish identity and ethos, while promoting respect for all global cultures and religions.”

What on earth could be finer motivations and foundations for the educational attainment of children in our society today in Scotland?

In a sense, the fact that—with the leadership of East Renfrewshire Council, of which Paul O’Kane is a distinguished former education convener—Calderwood Lodge school has developed as a joint campus with St Clare’s Roman Catholic primary school embodies the aim that I have just talked about, which is to promote respect for all global cultures and religions. What better way to do that than in a joint campus with a Roman Catholic primary school?

As the father of a son whose primary education took place in a Roman Catholic school in a joint campus, I think that joint campus developments have been an absolutely fabulous innovation in Scottish education. They are places where tradition has been protected and nurtured but where common cause and common space have been created. Again, for our children’s educational environment, what more could we hope for than that?

The fact that the school was opened jointly by the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, and Bishop John Keenan of Paisley is very special, and it symbolises that coming together.

Another element of that coming together is the contribution of the Scottish Government to the opening of the joint campus. It contributed a modest amount of money—£300,000—for the creation of an interactive hub, which is a shared-faith space at the heart of the campus. Given that the joint campus tries to provide the opportunity for distinct communities to come together, I cannot think of a finer way to do that than by investing in a faith space where we can all bring our traditions together, celebrate one another’s traditions, respect them and cherish them. That is surely the foundation of the acknowledgment of the common humanity that all of us want to see, the neglecting of which many of us are distressed about in the current environment.

This is a lovely moment to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the foundation of Calderwood Lodge and to pay tribute to those who had the imagination and the creativity to make it happen, and to the subsequent generations who have been prepared to invest in it and who enabled Paul O’Kane, in his former guise as a councillor, and others to make the choices to ensure that we have fantastic educational facilities for young people.

I commend the motion and all that it aims to achieve for the children and young people of Calderwood Lodge primary school.

18:12  

I will start by declaring an interest in that, as we have heard, I am a former education convener in East Renfrewshire Council.

I am pleased to be participating in the debate this evening, and I thank Jackson Carlaw for his kind words and for the way in which we have been able to work together to bring the motion to the chamber. I also thank him for his long support of the Jewish community in East Renfrewshire. We have both had a strong relationship with that community over many years, and there is a real cross-party consensus in East Renfrewshire, where we work to support all our diverse communities.

As we have heard, these are undoubtedly dark times for Jewish people around the world. Many of the conversations that I have had with the Jewish community in East Renfrewshire recently have been in grief and in prayer for those who have been murdered in Israel. Often, in those conversations, Jewish people have expressed fear for their safety and security as antisemitism rises. What we heard in yesterday’s debate and have heard in much of the commentary is that we must all stand together against the rising tide of antisemitism that we are seeing in our world.

I am clear that that is not how Jewish people want to be defined or seen. Indeed, when I, along with Jackson Carlaw, joined the community in celebrating 60 years of Scotland’s only Jewish school, Calderwood Lodge, I heard a variety of voices speaking in joyful celebration and in hope—celebration of what the community has achieved over 60 years and hope for what it will go on to achieve in the future here in Scotland. That hope and joy were exemplified in the smiling faces and angelic voices of the children of the school, who shared traditional Hebrew songs with us as we tucked into a great brunch that morning in Calderwood Lodge.

The community is rightly proud of what many describe as the jewel in the crown of the Jewish story in Scotland. That story is long and varied, just as the school’s story is long and varied—we have heard much of that articulated by Jackson Carlaw this evening.

It was my honour to serve on East Renfrewshire Council for 10 years, including five years as vice-convener of education and four years as convener. I am grateful to John Swinney for his comments on that. Although he and I often disagreed on elements of policy when I was convener, there was a real sense that, on issues such as improving school facilities and making sure that we pushed forward in bringing communities together, we were very much working with one purpose. I know that, over his time as education secretary, many of the schools in East Renfrewshire greatly valued the time that he gave to visit schools and speak with staff, pupils and parents. His visits were always well regarded, so I am grateful to him for that.

I will focus my remaining time on the rebuilding of the school on its current site in Newton Mearns. It had long been the council’s ambition to relocate the school and provide new and modern facilities. I am proud that we chose to do that by investing £17 million in what we believe to be the world’s first Jewish-Roman Catholic shared campus. It was a courageous and bold plan in many ways, but it enjoyed the support of parents from both faith communities, the leaders of those faith communities, staff and the wider community in East Renfrewshire.

It was not always plain sailing; trust had to be built. I recall many late meetings of parent councils and community groups to iron out some of the issues and concerns and find common ground. Common ground was the key—respecting one another’s faith and traditions and deciding to share where we could on encounter, experience and humanity.

I remember that, when the architects presented the plans for the building, they spoke about there being a central heart, and it was the facility that John Swinney referred to. It would be a place where children could come together—the busyness of school life would pause for a while and there would be time together to share meals and for dancing, drama, social occasions and faith experiences.

There was a real sense that, for both schools, having a heart in the school was nothing new. For them, it was not just about the heart as the centre of the building; it was about so much more. For 60 years, Calderwood Lodge has been a beating heart—a place of learning and love where Jewish children have learned alongside Muslim children and children of other faiths and no faith, and where lives have been shaped and minds have been inspired. It stands as a beacon of hope, perseverance, tolerance and respect. As the motion rightly states, it is an asset to East Renfrewshire and to Scotland. It rightly commands the pride of the Jewish community and the local authority.

In concluding, may I suggest that Calderwood Lodge also commands this Parliament’s pride and respect? Let us, with one voice, say, to the community of Calderwood Lodge, mazel tov, and to all pupils, teachers and the community, past and present, chazak v’ematz.

18:18  

I am delighted to speak in the chamber to honour Calderwood Lodge primary school, which is now in its 60th year of providing Jewish faith-based education. For me, growing up in Golders Green, Jewish schools were the norm, although I went to the state Garden Suburb junior school.

My colleague Jackson Carlaw and others have spoken eloquently about the school’s history, from its early days in Newlands, in Glasgow, to the more recent move to Newton Mearns, where it shares a campus with St Clare’s primary school. This is the first Jewish-Catholic campus in the world. Having kids of Jewish, Catholic and Muslim faiths playing together and learning together is wonderful and is growing multiculturalism.

Although the school’s direct impact extends primarily to the Jewish community, Calderwood Lodge primary school contributes to a broader education and cultural landscape in East Renfrewshire, showcasing the importance of diversity in the region. The school fosters a sense of pride and identity in the pupils’ heritage within a strong Jewish ethos, while also promoting respect for all global cultures and religions.

By existing alongside other schools, Calderwood Lodge contributes to interfaith understanding and collaboration, promoting a diverse and inclusive environment. It is no surprise that that is important to the ethos of Calderwood Lodge primary school, and to see that we need only look at the contribution of Scotland’s Jewish community as a whole to the cultural, social and economic fabric of our country, particularly in Glasgow and East Renfrewshire.

Scotland’s Jewish community is heavily engaged in philanthropic education and community initiatives, fostering diversity, understanding and appreciation among different communities, promoting tolerance, and enriching Scotland’s social tapestry.

Jewish entrepreneurs and professionals contribute to the economic landscape, create business, generate employment and participate in academia, innovation and development.

Our Jewish friends are at the forefront of promoting interfaith dialogue, helping to build bridges between different religions and cultural groups, and actively encouraging mutual respect and understanding.

The history of the Jewish community in Scotland is rich and varied, and it dates back to the late medieval period. Do not worry—I will not go all the way back there. Rather, we will fast forward to the early 20th century, when there was a well-established Jewish community in Glasgow. During world war two, Scotland provided a safe haven for Jewish refugees who were escaping Nazi persecution. Many Jewish refugees integrated into Scottish society and contributed in various fields.

In the post-war period, our Jewish community continued to grow, and synagogues, schools and community organisations were established. Notable contributions were made in business, science and the arts.

Today, the Jewish community in Scotland is diverse, and members of it contribute across various aspects of Scottish life. Our synagogues, community centres and educational institutions play crucial roles in preserving Jewish identity and fostering connections with the broader community.

Calderwood Lodge primary school continues that much-valued tradition. Family and community are at the core of the school experience, underpinned by the study of Hebrew and Jewish values. Children are guided to develop the necessary skills to make positive contributions to Scotland and the world at large, now and in the future.

I congratulate Calderwood Lodge primary school on its 60th anniversary.

18:21  

The challenge in responding on behalf of the Government in such debates is that everyone who has gone before—not least the person who lodged the motion—has covered pretty much everything. Therefore, please accept my apologies if the next few minutes offer little fresh insight.

Seeking to match the eloquence, humour and delivery of Jackson Carlaw on most topics is, of course, a task beyond most of us—certainly me, and certainly tonight. I enjoyed his contribution, and I thank him for securing this debate.

I also thank the other contributors, particularly Paul O’Kane. Collectively, they have shone a light on the history and achievements of Calderwood Lodge primary school, and, in so doing, they have reminded all of us in passing about what members’ business debates were designed to be about: parking the politics and, as MSPs, marking significant landmarks for organisations in our constituencies and beyond, as well as highlighting the good about the communities that we are privileged to represent.

Lovely, thought-provoking points have been made that highlight the special nature of Calderwood Lodge primary school. As other members have done, I congratulate the school on the achievement of reaching its 60th anniversary.

I will pick up some points that have been made.

Jackson Carlaw noted the particular nature of the school. Generations of the same households have gone to it. That is quite unique in education these days, with families moving around the country.

John Swinney highlighted the aims and vision of the school. He was right to note their worthiness.

Paul O’Kane took us back to the establishment of the current facility, six years ago, and talked about the trust-building exercise that had to be embarked on. I do not doubt how challenging that must have been at the time, but I am sure that he is thinking how worth while it was to take on that challenge.

Denominational schools have played a key role in the Scottish education system for over 100 years. They provide our faith communities with an opportunity to bear to witness to their faith through the education of their children.

Many other denominational schools have a diverse intake that reflects the range of faiths in the communities. Parents of other faiths and no faith often choose a denominational school for their children’s education. Jackson Carlaw talked about the Muslim cohort at Calderwood Lodge primary school, which I suspect is quite unique. That demonstrates community cohesion.

Members have mentioned the joint campus, which brought together Calderwood Lodge and St Clare’s primary schools on the same site and was the first of its kind in Scotland. As John Swinney reminded us, in 2017, the Scottish Government was pleased to provide the modest sum of £300,000 towards the project to create a shared faith space at the heart of the campus to encourage new ways of learning, teaching and socialising, as well as interfaith interaction, while fostering respect, collaboration and understanding.

Diversity and equality are at the heart of the policies that underpin education in Scotland, and we must be vigilant in challenging any discriminatory and abusive behaviour in our schools, in any form. Where it occurs, it must be challenged through educating our children about all faiths and belief systems and none, and ensuring that they learn about tolerance, respect, equality, good citizenship and healthy relationships. From what we have heard tonight, it is clear that Calderwood Lodge lights the way for us in that regard.

The Government’s anti-racism in education programme provides oversight of a number of areas of work that are embedding anti-racism in education, including education leadership and professional learning; increasing diversity in the teaching profession; decolonising the curriculum; and tackling racist incidents in schools.

The Scottish Government absolutely values and appreciates our relationship with Scotland’s Jewish communities, and we welcome their contribution and input to our nation’s civic life. We acknowledge the cultural and religious identity of those communities, and we will continue to work together to tackle prejudice and support one another in building the society that we want to be—a safer, stronger and fairer Scotland.

Events in Israel and Palestine, as awful as they are, do not justify expressions of racial or religious hatred of any kind. Although we are not seeing the same rise in reported hate crime as has been seen elsewhere in these islands, we should not be complacent in that regard. Just this week, the Minister for Victims and Community Safety launched the hate crime strategy delivery plan at the tackling hate crime and building cohesive communities conference. However, we should not need strategies or delivery plans here, because this is about tolerance, respect and decency—the hallmarks that should underpin any society, especially our society.

We greatly value Calderwood Lodge primary’s contribution to the Jewish community in East Renfrewshire. The school is rightly a source of pride not only to that community but to others, including the wider community in that locality. Once again, I congratulate Calderwood Lodge on reaching the milestone of its 60th anniversary year. I also congratulate Jackson Carlaw on securing this platform to highlight that achievement and on his excellent speech.

Meeting closed at 18:27.