A SCHOOL PARENT Council has moved to ‘set the record straight’ over plans to create a temporary new school within the existing buildings – and what they say were “misleading” comments made by a senior Councillor.
The East End School Parent Council in Elgin published a poster last night that they say highlights the issues – and urges parents and carers to have their say by completing the statutory consultation survey produced by Moray Council.
In a poster headed ‘Let’s set the record straight’, the Parent Council say that a great deal of misleading information has been put out by Moray Council over the issue, mostly in relation to an intervention from Councillor George Alexander in a press release immediately following two public consultation meetings held at Elgin Town Hall earlier this month.
Councillor Alexander said the proposal to accommodate a new school in a building which is “currently lying vacant” on a temporary basis “makes perfect sense all round”.
The Parent Council insist that Councillor Alexander’s views were “particularly misleading and ill-informed”, insisting that contrary to his statement the old East End School building is not ‘vacant’ – saying that it has been used by pupils since it was founded in 1833.
The Parent Council said: “The Heritage Centre occupied rooms on the left hand side of the building on a temporary basis – East End parents, staff and pupils have been led to believe that when the Heritage Centre moved out, the rooms would be refurbished and returned for use by East End pupils.
“The East End school roll is currently growing by about one classroom a year and has outgrown the 1970’s built school building – additional space is needed by ourselves.”
The consultation period over the school plan ends on Thursday, February 4. If agreed they would see a new temporary school separate from East End Primary being established in the space occupied by the Heritage Centre, sharing the school gym and dining facilities but operating with separate teaching staff. The arrangement would last until a new school is built in Elgin.
Those with an interest over the issue are being invited to complete an online survey before that date.
