Parents of Gaelic-medium students in Oban are calling for answers after thousands of pounds-worth of books and other resources were found dumped in a skip.
The books, machinery and other material were seen in skips outside Argyll and Bute Council education offices on Dalintart Drive.
Eagle-eyed parents noticed the value of the resources and removed what they described as “tens of thousands of pounds-worth” from the skips.
One skip was removed prior to parents seeing what was inside last week.
But over the weekend, parents came along and removed many valuable items.
The council removed the second skip from outside the office at 1pm on Monday.
Concerned parents told The Press and Journal they were shocked the resources appeared to be going to landfill, rather than to children.
Meanwhile, Argyll and Bute Council has launched a full investigation to examine what happened.
‘I took photographs of the scene in utter disbelief’
Education staff were seen last week removing items from two containers to the side of education offices, and dumping them into skips.
At one point, there were two skips that had been filled and left on a public pathway.
The path is a temporary route through the grounds of Argyll and Bute Council’s island children’s hostel, where the education offices are based.
One mum, Alison Craig, whose two children are in Gaelic medium education in the town, said: “I came down to try and rescue as many items as I could once I heard about all these books being thrown away.
“I took photographs of the scene in utter disbelief.
“This is not the fault of the staff who have been told to carry out the job. This is the local authority allowing items that would have great value to children to be thrown away.”
Majority of books are new
Mrs Craig, from Comann nam Pàrant an Òbain, a parents advice and support organisation in Oban, added: “Not only are the books brand new, but the majority are still in cellophane or sealed boxes. Tens of thousands of pounds of money that Argyll and Bute Council has spent only to be binned.”
Mrs Craig said there were other items in the skips including stationary supplies, jotters, CDs, music systems, laminators, folders.
She asked why the items had not been recycled, rather than binned.
She continued: “There was even a couple of braille machines in the skips. I would not get into them far enough to take things out.
“Some of the books still had handwritten information in them and I’m thinking they really should have been shredded. So I hope there was no identifying information on any of them, as that would open up a whole other set of issues.
‘I want answers’
“I want answers from the council as to who made the decision to do this.”
Inside one of the Oban skips among the books were Gaelic dictionaries worth £13 each.
It is understood there was at least three boxes full of the dictionaries in the skip. Parents believed there were 24 in a box.
Parents are now offering books that have been retrieved for free. Many of the books found in the Oban skip are illustrated picture stories for children that have never been used. Others will be given to the Gaelic school or taken to those who need them.
One parent, who lives in Dalintart Drive, said while she did not want to be named, she was happy for The Press and Journal to use photographs of what she had removed over the weekend and passed on.
In one of the bags, she removed, there were CD discs with data on them. It is not known if it is sensitive material.
‘This is cancelling culture’
Radio and TV presenter Mary Ann Kennedy, a Gaelic speaker from Ardgour, said: “What possible justification can the council have for doing this?
“This is cancelling [culture] in a true and very worrying sense.”
Ms Kennedy encouraged Oban residents to go along and take items out the skip. She continued: “And just in case any council operative would try and play the theft card, the encouragement to salvage this tragic situation also applies to them. ”
Councillor Julie MacKenzie, Oban North and Lorn ward, said: “Understandably the social media post in a local Facebook group has generated a great deal of public concern and anger.
“Following correspondence from constituents yesterday (Sunday) I raised this matter with senior council officials and asked for an urgent investigation and answers to be provided by the education department.”
A spokeswoman for Argyll and Bute Council said: “We are aware of an issue relating to the disposal of materials in Oban and we are conducting a full investigation.”
