Abernyte bigger catchment bid

Two Carse of Gowrie councillors have welcomed attempts to secure the future of a rural primary school.

As part of the local authority’s school estates review, Abernyte Primary School has been recommended to have its catchment area increased at Wednesday’s lifelong learning committee meeting.

This is the right move in the eyes of Councillor Alasdair Bailey.

He said:“Abernyte school has suffered from having a catchment area that was simply too small given the unfortunate decline in the numbers of young families choosing to live in rural areas.

“When nearby village schools closed many years ago, their catchment was rolled into Inchture which is now a sizeable school. A review of the catchment area is the only option I can see which stands a chance of re-establishing Abernyte as a sustainable rural school.

“I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to proceed with the formal catchment review after Wednesday’s meeting and that the outcome of the consultation will point towards a sustainable rural school thus saving Abernyte for future generations.”

This has been echoed by Councillor Angus Forbes, who added:“As someone who went to a small rural school, I am very much in favour of these type of schools, however that had a school roll of 35 and it was in the 1980s, the world was a different place then.

“There is no doubt in my mind that, had the SNP agreed to that review, Abernyte school would not be in the position it is now.”