Schools set to be a credit to Moray

A DATE has finally been set for the opening of the new Keith Primary School.

Classes will start there on Wednesday, February 1, with pupils getting next Friday, the following Monday and Tuesday off for the move to take place.

Excitement is building, and the new setting will be as different from the old one as night and day. Keith has waited a long time for a new main primary, and it will be a major milestone in the history of learning in the town.

After that, it will be the turn of Elgin Academy, with the first teaching day in the new school due on Tuesday, March 6. An open day at the current buildings last Saturday drew a huge response. Former pupils poured in to soak up the nostalgia of their schooldays since 1969, and credit goes to all those who made this special trip down memory lane possible.

Investment in our children’s education is essential, and notwithstanding the controversy over the way it is paid for – in the case of Elgin Academy and Keith Primary, as part of a £40 million public-private partnership project – the new schools will be a credit to Moray.

Not to our credit, though, is the state of Elgin High, which officially has the lowest grading possible for being fit for purpose because, among many faults, it has leaking roofs, cramped corridors and outdated facilities.

But now there is hope on the horizon.

The Moray Council administration this week announced a capital budget for the next decade, and highlighting Elgin High as a priority, has set aside £7 million for a new High School as half the share of the cost, the other half being provided, hopefully, by the Scottish Government.

A bid to the Government for funding has to be in before the end of March, and it is hoped that this will be successful. Finance Secretary John Swinney has already seen for himself the poor state of the school, and is encouraging local authorities to come forward with such projects.

The parents at Elgin High, community representatives and others should be making sure the politicians follow through on this. The High School matters to the whole of Elgin, to the community of New Elgin, indeed to our whole education structure in Moray, and it is up to us all to see that the pupils there are givden the best chance in building towards their future.

Surprising spending

MANY people will be surprised by the 10-year capital plan announced this week by Moray Council’s administration, which sets out £52 million for upgrading schools, a £72 million programme of improvements to our roads, £4 million for work on harbours, and an additional £1 million of improvements per year for economic development over the next five years.

A regional sports facility is also back on the agenda.

In a recession, with a seemingly eternal cloud of doom and gloom hovering over us, such a plan will puzzle many. Where is the money coming from when it is so scarce? Well, the council administration says it is the most ambitious spending programme the authority has ever seen, and that its prudence and money-saving in recent years makes this affordable.

The capital plan is based on using reserves of £16 million and, as encouraged by the Scottish Government, borrowing the rest. That may worry many people who will hope the council’s sums add up and that the Scottish Government makes good its promises of support.

It is encouraging to see the council with a vision for improving Moray instead of just standing still. We shall be monitoring the progress and, of course, the public reaction.

Cash pours in for ARCHIE

YOUR GENEROSITY knows no bounds. In just eight weeks, £20,000 has been donated for the Moray ARCHIE Friends’ appeal for the children’s ward at Dr Gray’s Hospital.

The money is pouring in via many diverse ways, from people in all walks of life, and we hope the flow continues.

We knew Moray would respond generously, but just not so quickly. There is a lot of work still to be done to meet the £100,000 target ..... but we can do it.