The leader of Shetland Islands Council has hailed progress on Lerwick’s new £42million academy – and predicted sceptical parents in remote communities would soon want to send their kids to the school.
After several delays, the long-awaited replacement for Anderson High School is beginning to rise from the ground at its site by the town’s Clickimin Leisure Centre.
Education Secretary Angela Constance unveiled the foundation stone for the project in August last year, with completion pencilled in for spring 2017.
The project coincided with a long-running row over controversial proposals to either close down outlying schools, or move S4 pupils to Lerwick.
Various plans were tabled affecting Mid Yell Junior High School, Whalsay School, Baltasound Junior High School, Aith Junior High School and Sandwick Junior High, but were shelved last year amid a backlash from some parents.
However, local authority leader Gary Robinson told the Press and Journal yesterday that he believed parents from across the islands would be keen to send their children to the new Anderson when it was open.
Asked about future closures, he said: “I think you just have to look at what has happened in other places. Where excellent education is on offer, you find people will travel for it.
“I think people will want to send their children there. It’s going to be an excellent facility, and it’s going to be a real attraction that people will want to use.”
Mr Robinson added: “I think for the first time we will have a single, purpose-built school building.
“At the moment, the existing Anderson High School is a bit of a ramshackle of buildings built-up over a number of years. We will get a much better learning environment with the new school.”
His remarks risked re-opening the row over the future of remote schools last night.
Karen Hannay, a spokeswoman for the Communities United for Rural Education (Cure) campaign group on the islands, said: “We’re happy for the enhanced facilities for S5 and S6 that the new Anderson High School will provide, as long as S1 to S4 continue to be supported in rural areas.”
She added that travelling times for some pupils could be up to two hours and 10 minutes per day, which she said were “significant” for younger pupils.
The new Anderson High School will cost £42.01million, and will feature a new halls of residence costing £13.74 million. About two-thirds of the funding is from the Scottish Government.
The four-storey school will accommodate up to 1,180 pupils, and the hostel will be three-storeys and have 100 beds