Pulling a rabbit out of a hat is normally the reserve of magicians.
But after last week’s education and children’s services committee, I got the distinct feeling hard-working education officials are effectively being asked to do the same thing.
There was a great deal of positivity in the air after councillors’ decision not to progress with statutory consultation over the proposed rezoning of secondary school catchments, with people power clearly having an effect.
Parents of children at Masterton Primary did not want to see their kids bussed out of Dunfermline to attend Inverkeithing High, as per the initial plan, and on the face of it councillors should be commended for listening.
Concerns ranging from how kids were going to get to school and road safety to the ability of youngsters to take part in after school clubs were aired at the committee meeting, and action was taken. That aspect of the catchment review was shelved.
However, all that decision has done has partially masked the real issue here.
Education officials, the diligent bunch I spoke of earlier, have warned until they are blue in the face that something needs to be done to address urgent capacity issues at Woodmill High School. Unless action is taken soon, it will exceed capacity come August – with all the signs that it will get worse as demographics change – and the plans put forward by the officials last week provided the best solution in their eyes.
So it was somewhat surprising to see them being asked to go back to the drawing board to develop another consultation paper, only with the Masterton aspect missing.
And it was particularly eye-opening to see them asked to go away and try to find a new solution to the Woodmill High capacity crisis, despite councillors being told that all the options have apparently been exhausted.
I’m glad to see people’s concerns taken on board, but the procrastination has simply shone a greater light on the real elephant in the room.
Woodmill High and Inverkeithing High need replaced as a matter of urgency.
We all know money doesn’t grow on trees, but the capacity issues simply won’t go away. They’ll only get worse.
So whether it’s an urgent review of the council’s capital plan or going cap in hand to the Scottish Government, the time for talking has long gone.
Action is needed, and needed very soon, to bring an end to the continued uncertainty.
