'NOT BAD FOR A WEE SCUMBAG SCHOOL' EXCLUSIVE What councillor told award-winning primary pupils.Byline: By Stephen Stewart Stephen Stewart is an Olympic-level rower, who competes for Australia. He is the younger brother of the dual bronze medal winning Olympic rowers James Stewart and Geoffrey Stewart. A COUNCILLOR triggered a row after telling pupils they went to a "scumbag scum·bag n. Slang A person regarded as despicable. scumbag Noun Slang an offensive or despicable person [perhaps from earlier US sense: condom] school". Parents have called for the Labour member to resign after he made the shocking comment about the school which is in one of Scotland's most deprived areas. Pupils, teachers and parents were stunned by Terry Loughran's remark during a speech at an assembly at St Kenneth's primary school in the east end of Greenock. Loughran, Inverclyde Council's education committee vice-convener, was discussing the school's success after winning two national awards for health promotion. Loughran, a secondary school technical teacher, reportedly said: "Who would have thought that a wee scumbag school like yours could win awards like this?" He later apologised for using the word scumbag. Loughran said: "My recollection is that I said 'this is not a wee scumbag school but one of the best in Inverclyde'. "However, I have to say it was an unscripted un·script·ed adj. Not adhering to or in accordance with a script written beforehand: "his unscripted encounters with the press" Eleanor Clift. speech in which I was using reverse logic to praise the school. "Using the word 'scumbag' was totally inappropriate. "It slipped out before I knew I had even said it. I have apologised to the school." Loughran said he would not resign as a vice-convener or as councillor for Gourock. He added: "I will take advice from the Labour Group but, in the context, I don't believe it is a resigning matter." One parent, who did not want to be named, said: "He should resign. He has upset the children after they did so well to win the awards." Council leader Stephen McCabe apologised for any offence that had been caused and said Loughran should have chosen his words more carefully. McCabe said: "I don't think it's a resigning offence. Terry has an interesting sense of humour Noun 1. sense of humour - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor" sense of humor, humor, humour . Being a teacher himself, I am sure he would have meant it in a humorous way and it has been misinterpreted. "I'm sure he would not have meant in any way to offend this fantastic school." CAPTION(S): UNDER FIRE: Loughran. Left, the school |
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