Put squabbling to one side for greater good

Sir, – It appears to have caused a fair bit of controversy but Perth and Kinross Council should be applauded for finally tackling the state of Perth High School head-on.

The building – built relatively cheaply to solve an immediate crisis as the city expanded westwards – has longsince stopped being fit for purpose.

The mend and make-do attitude suffered by pupils and staff in recent years is unsustainable and must surely lead to lowering morale and standards.

The creation of the Bertha Park school nearby, as well as community campuses elsewhere in Perth and Kinross, highlights the High’s ageing incongruity even further.

Of course it is disappointing that other facilities and projects will lose out and there is valid criticism that other parts of the region need suffer.

Swimming pools and wellbeing hubs are desirable but nothing is more important than the education of our young people.

In an ideal world all projects would be funded but that would be to ignore the reality of these trying economic times.

Their needs cannot be satisfactorily met in crumbling buildings and cash spent on patch-up repairs represents nothing other than a case of throwing good money after bad.

The council cannot afford to get caught in a squabble over the merits of one project over another.

It is high time for all involved to rise above political point scoring and begin this vital project.

Thomas Hutchison. Ash Grove, Perth.

Macdougall. Picture: Steve Perth and Kinross Council has been both praised and criticised over choosing to tackle the condition of Perth High School.