School to host gender event
Perth Common Good Fund steps in
Perth Grammar School has been awarded a grant of £4300 from the city’s Common Good Fund towards the cost of a pupil-led conference on gender equality.
The conference, set to be held at Perth Concert Hall, will cost over £10,000 and will see 355 S2/S3 pupils from schools across Perth and Kinross learn about the issue.
SNP group leader Cllr Dave Dougan said the initiative would be tackling “an extremely important issue.”
And Perth City Centre councillor Peter Barrett added: “I think it’s a very commendable initiative by young people to organise this conference particularly on the subject of equalities.”
Councillors agreed to the grant despite some concerns over where the confrence would take place.
Earlier in the meeting, Cllr Andrew Parrot asked the convenor: “I’ve nothing in principle against this conference going ahead, but I do have
Councillor Doogan to ask myself, is there not an education budget that this activity can be funded from?”
Depute Provost Cllr Willie Wilson explained that the funding is supplementary to education funding, but had concerns over the cost.
He added: “My question is - and I’ve no problem with the proposal or principles at all - but £10,700 for a conference, presumably a one-day one, seems an awful lot of money.”
Perth Concert Hall hire is £888 + VAT, Catering £2574, fees for contributors £3000 offshoot projects £1000.
“Obviously we want our concert hall to be used but we want a balancing situation where the costs are not quite as heavy.
“I’m not going to challenge this, but maybe we could have some thoughts in the future about venues that might not cost quite so much.”
Convenor Cllr Bob Band admitted he also asked the same question of council officers prior to the meeting, and why the event wasn’t being held in a school.
But Cllr Barrett responded, saying :“I don’t really think we should stray into the dangerous territory of treating our young people as second class citizens who aren’t entitled to have conferences in premier venues in Perth and Kinross.
“I don’t think we should be asking them to hold events in schools.
“Part of the attraction is that it is outside of school and not seen as part of the curriculum.”
Cllr Dougan added: “There is an element of ambition to this and we should not force them into a Mickey Mouse venue.”
We should not force them into a Mickey Mouse venue