A new campus on the Isle of Mull may be on the cards, after councillors agreed to submit a case for funding to the Scottish Government.
Argyll and Bute Council agreed to submit the business case and funding application to the government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP).
But the big question for islanders might be not be “should there be a new campus?” – and more “where should the new campus be?”.
It follows a series of public engagement sessions on Mull, to gather views on what type of campus would work for the island.
An Argyll and Bute Council spokeswoman said the sessions were well attended and overwhelming support was expressed.
Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, the council’s policy lead for education, said: “It is clear from the feedback we received at the public engagement events that people are keen for a new campus on the island and we want to work with them to make that happen.
“Submitting a bid to the LEIP doesn’t mean that it’s a done deal. We will be competing for funding against local authorities across the country and the final decision will rest with Scottish Government ministers.
“Even then, the LEIP does not fully fund projects; if the bid is successful the council will have to make a major financial commitment to the project.”
She continued: “We are fortunate, however, that we have the backing of the local community and this will hopefully strengthen our submission.”
What happens on the island at the moment?
At the moment Mull’s high school is in Tobermory, the largest settlement on the islands. It was built in the 1980s, and is situated on a hill above the town.
Children from the north end of the inner Hebridean attend school in Tobermory, with children from the south of the island, and from the island of Iona, zoned for Oban High School.
For those pupils who attend in Oban, there is a school hostel for children, aged between 11 and 19, who spend Monday to Fridays in the west coast town.
There is some debate on Mull and Iona in regard to where any new school should be built.
For some, having the school in a central place on the island, such as Craignure, would be preferable.
For other families, moving the campus away from Tobermory would mean many more children having to travel.
The distance from Tobermory to Craignure is around 35 minutes.
From Iona to Craignure the journey time, including a ferry trip, is nearer an hour-and-a- half.
The Scottish Government will announce successful applications in December, after which feedback will be reported back to the Argyll and Bute Council in early 2023.
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