Harris Academy & Menzieshill High School Closure Consultation

Progress being made on Harris Academy

After last week's visit to the building site at Harris Academy this week saw the latest meeting of the project board for rebuilding the school.  It was good to hear about progress on the new school building.  A number of issues were raised about road safety issues around the school when it returns to the Perth Road.  As a local resident I know some of the issues which happen around the school and we should be using this rebuilding period to try and make the school and its environs as safe as possible.  I hope that the school is successful when it returns to the West End in August 2016.

On Tuesday evening I attended the consultation meeting held at Harris Academy on the SNP Administration's proposals to close Menzieshill High School.  You can read the Administration's proposals here.  For the West End the proposal to close Menzieshill High School would have a knock-on impact on Harris Academy with Menzieshill pupils transferring to Harris Academy.  This would mean that Harris Academy could be over-capacity on day one in the new building.  It might also mean that pupils who want to attend Harris Academy in the future will have had to attend an associated primary school and to live in the catchment area.

I would urge everyone with an interest in the education of young people in our city to read the Menzieshill High School consultation and the other school estate consultations which are underway just now, and make your views known to Dundee City Council.  It is important that councillors and the other members of the Education Committee listen to the views of parents, carers and young people and act accordingly once the consultation has finished.