Consultation on School Changes

The SNP Administration of Dundee City Council is proposing a number of changes to schools in the city.  The one with the biggest impact on the West End is the proposal to close Menzieshill High School with most pupils moving to Harris Academy.  The Administration brought forward these proposals to last night's Education Committee.

The Labour Group has, on two occasions, attempted to get the council to give far more detail than they have done so far on these proposals on both occasions SNP, Lib Dem, and Tory councillors have voted down our proposals.

With regard to the proposals that impact on Harris Academy my biggest concern is that these plans should have been included when the plans for the new Harris Academy were on the drawing board.  I find it hard to believe that the council has only just come up with this solution.  Indeed if it was not looking at what they claim will be good for Menzieshill pupils then they are guilty of having taken their eye off the ball.  It is does rather suggest that the main driver of this policy is financial rather than educational.

We have a situation now where a new school is being built and more pupils are being added to school.  I know that people in the West End have benefited over the past couple of years from not having the large number of traffic movements and parking issues which were associated Harris Academy on the Perth Road.  We now have a situation proposed where there will be more staff and more pupils, some travelling some distance and possibility requiring more buses.  None of this has been included in the planning stage of the new Harris Academy.  I look forward to Harris Academy returning to the Perth Road, it is just a shame that it may well return with even more traffic and congestion issues than there were before the new building.  I will certainly be keeping a close eye on this.

The result of last night's vote at the Education Committee means that there will be a consultation on these proposals from 12th January until 27 February next year I would urge anyone with an interest in education in Dundee to look out for this consultation and take part in the consultation.  I am always interested in the views of parents, pupils and staff in our schools and would be happy to hear from you.