I welcome the announcement by the City Council that it is now committed to funding Sidlaw View Primary School and Jessie Porter Nursery School as part of the proposed Strathmartine Campus along with Baldragon Academy.
On 2 October, Strathmartine Councillor Kevin Keenan joined me in calling for such a commitment. To ensure that this issue was aired, I placed this item on the Agenda of the next Education Committee later this month. I am pleased to have received a positive response from David Dorward, the Council's Chief Executive late on Tuesday afternoon.
I note that the current intention is to rebuild Sidlaw View Primary School and Jessie Porter Nursery School after the rebuilding of Baldragon Academy. This would be disappointing as the new Baldragon is to be rebuilt on the north side of its current campus close to Harestane Road. This should allow the rebuilding of Baldragon to take place with minimal disruption to the education of the current pupils. If the rebuilding of Sidlaw View Primary School and Jessie Porter Nursery School takes place later on as the Education Convener claims, there will be a building site next door to the new Baldragon Academy for a couple of years.
These are of course questions Councillor Keenan and I will pursue at the Education Committee and also at the Policy and Resources Committee when the Capital Plan is revised to find room for the the Council's share of funding these three new schools.
Note there is no provision in the exiting approved capital plan for any of the Council's costs for rebuilding Baldragon Academy, Sidlaw View Primary School and Jessie Porter Nursery School.
