Emotional plea to save Balhousie
A good turnout at consultation meeting
Several groups with a connection to Balhousie Primary School came together at a special event to stress the same message: “Don’t shut our school.”
The emotional plea was delivered during a consultation event held at the 109-year-old Perth institution on Thursday last week.
Several options have been put on the table in relation to Balhousie’s future, as well as St Ninian’s Episcopal Primary, by Perth and Kinross Council.
One option is to close both and expand the plans for a larger North Muirton newbuild.
Alternatively, another mooted plan is to keep both Balhousie and St Ninian’s open separately and invest in the buildings in terms of heating and lighting.
Catchment areas for the schools could also be altered to boost the current rolls.
An additional option is to keep Balhousie open and utilise unused space as a community centre.
At the drop-in session, Heather Anderson – chair of the parent council – said she was pleased to see so many people get involved.
She said: “It’s been really busy considering the weather.
“The response has been overwhelming and all with the same message - don’t shut our school.
“The public perception is that the decision has already been made, which just isn’t true.
“We’ve had backing from the local Asda, who have written to the council as well.”
Councillor Caroline Shiers, who stepped down from her position of deputy leader of the council to focus on the local authority’s education portfolio, told those gathered: “We are here today in listening mode and it has been very interesting to hear such a wide variety of ideas.
“It would be interesting to see if Balhousie could become a community and education hub like at St John’s. I’m keen to make schools more than just 9am-3pm buildings.
“I stepped back [as deputy leader] as it became very apparent to me that the developments for the future of schools in Perth and Kinross would take up a lot of my time, and for something as extensive as this you cannot look at anything in isolation.
“The developments at Bertha Park and elsewhere will see changes which will have a knock on effect which we need to account for.
“Nothing has been decided yet, and we are carrying on the review started by the last administration.”
This view was echoed by Councillor Chris Ahern, who said: “For us, our primary objective is to give the children in Perth and Kinross the best possible education experience.”
Balhousie Primary has 100 pupils currently enrolled across five classes, and the B-Listed building has a capacity of 244.
A decision on the consultation is expected to be announced in January. Cllr Caroline Shiers