A parent council has demanded that “lessons be learnt” after a blueprint on the future of education in Highland Perthshire was agreed following years of fractious debate.
Representatives from Breadalbane Academy, Pitlochry High School and council education officers thrashed out a model for a new Highland Perthshire Learning Partnership (HPLP) following a contentious school estates review.
The new blueprint will see Perth College set up a learning hub at Pitlochry High School making foundation apprenticeships in social services and health care available to all Highland Perthshire fifth and sixth year pupils.
Opportunities to study subjects relevant to the local labour market such as outdoor activities, childcare, hospitality or working on the land will also be available.
Breadalbane Academy will continue to teach its current curriculum to S5 and S6 pupils from both schools.
During the estate review Pitlochry High School was forced to fight for the survival of their school while Breadalbane Academy campaigned against a proposal to teach S5 and S6 classes at Pitlochry.
The Aberfeldy-based school parents believed this would result in the downgrading of their school and have a negative effect on the curriculum available to pupils from both towns.
As councillors signed-off on the new HPLP model at the lifelong learning committee on Wednesday, Eleanor Laurie, co-chairwoman of Breadalbane Academy Parent Council, told the local authority the whole process was “poorly initiated”, though she welcomed the current progress.
Ms Laurie said: “Too much time was spent during this review debating options that, with conclusive educational analysis, would have seen a considerable reduction in the curriculum for pupils at both Breadalbane Academy and Pitlochry High School.
“If there is one lesson that our community asks to be learnt here today, it is that no school is placed in the position Breadalbane Academy were.
“We ask that when a school is given options under the remit of the estates review, that the impact upon all stakeholders, the financial and educational viability of those options are considered before the options are proposed publicly.”
Highland Perthshire councillor and vice-convener of the lifelong learning committee, John Duff, welcomed the link up between Pitlochry and Perth College.
Mr Duff said: “The establishment of a Perth College UHI hub within the Pitlochry High School building is a genuinely exciting development which has the potential to open up significant opportunities for pupils, school leavers and adult learners.
“This is a significant step forward in the Council’s desire to enhance the provision of secondary and further education in Highland Perthshire.”
Lifelong learning convener, Councillor Caroline Shiers said: “This report reflects the very positive progress already made on the development of the HPLP, and I look forward to the next stages of work on this important project.”
