Karen McLean

Portobello High School is a fine school. I believe that the school ethos and atmosphere is one of the best in Scotland if not the whole of the UK.

My eldest is in 1st year at Glasgow University and my youngest is just about to leave. I have attended many concerts in this school - the music department being renowned in its innovation and out of hours support; I have viewed the Arts students portfolio in the Arts Department on the top floor

I hope I remember correctly and, when I first set eyes on the school, how wonderful to have such large areas for music and art. Having seen many of the newly built schools I have to say that I have no reason to believe that a new school in Portobello would be able to offer the community the departmental sizes currently on offer. Yes the school needs massive investment. Yes pupils need an excellent educational environment and yes they need Sports facilities.

When was the new Sports block built? 8 years ago? Apparently this extension was one of the contributory factors against the failed PPP bid aprox 3 years ago.

I do think that questions need to be both asked and answered particurlarly the reasons why the school was allowed to reach its current low level of maintenance. Why did our Council not invest money in high level maintenance? Why are the council advocating the selling off of local green spaces in order to find the money to build a new svhool. It is every local council's statutory duty to both provide and maintain the educational environment of our children. Too many people are jumping on the 'we have no money to build state-of-the-art new school'. Believing and accepting that premise allows local government to fund unacceptably high levels of people's money in projects doomed to failure i.e. stock housing transfer not to mention the ongoing Trams fiasco.

Of course I want a wonderful school for Portobello however, I do not think it is acceptable to have to lose our local green spaces in order to fund it.