Megan Bonar of BBC Scotland News has reported on the educational divide faced by children living on Mull due to the location of the island’s only high school. While students in the north attend school in Tobermory, those in the south have had to travel over an hour-and-a-half to the mainland town of Oban for boarding school. The deteriorating state of Tobermory High School has sparked plans for a new multi-million pound replacement, reigniting a historic injustice among southern residents.
Residents in the south are advocating for a more central location like Craignure for the new school, allowing students from all parts of the island to attend the same school. This would enable children in the south to remain at home when they reach secondary school age. However, some parents in the north prefer the new school to be situated near the existing Tobermory high school. Argyll and Bute Council has shortlisted four options for the school’s location, delaying the decision until a special meeting in March.
Marion MacLean, a resident of Tobermory, emphasized the importance of retaining the primary school in the town, expressing concerns over potential impacts on the community and local businesses. Meanwhile, families from villages like Carsaig fear being forced to relocate if the new school is built in Tobermory, disrupting their close-knit community ties. Concerns about the future of education also extend to villagers like Rob Claxton-Ingham in Bunessan, who worries about his foster child’s schooling arrangements and the isolating impact of boarding in Oban.
Rebekah MacLean, another Bunessan resident, advocates for a centrally-located school to ensure educational equality across the island. With some of her children attending the local primary school and others facing complex secondary schooling decisions, she strives for all children to have the opportunity to learn without being separated from their families. The ongoing debate surrounding the school’s location underscores the significance of this decision for Mull residents, with widespread community engagement shaping the upcoming council vote on the matter
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