Dear all,

…the cycle continues until there comes a day when there is no secondary education on Tiree

I have been a member of the Parent Council and PTA for the last decade. The one issue that has consistently risen over that time has been the funding and security of the Music post. I do not need to tell anyone who truly knows the island how important this post is. Tiree continues to produce musicians of national renown thanks to the commitment of Joyce MacInnes and the Music Club, We now have the opportunity, through our community turbine, to secure this post and have a post which reflects the time required to ensure all our children, primary and secondary, have an opportunity to access music from an early age.

I have discussed this with parents, the education authority, Trust Directors and the wider community. As time is moving on and I want to submit a formal application to the Windfall, I need to ensure that this proposal has the majority support of the community. As a community we have to take a spoonful of reality where our school is concerned. If we do not intervene to enhance the post it will be advertised at 0.5, a half-time post!

The proposal involves a partnership with Argyll & Bute Council with the personnel management of the process handled by them. I am not naïve and I am sure there will be negotiation to ensure we receive the best possible outcome for our children by part funding the post.

Now, before the cry goes up about funding teachers posts, here is my argument. We have a small roll of secondary children – this year it is under 30. This is one of the reasons that we have fewer subject choices. Less children equates to less teachers which equates to less subjects. This will not change until the roll rises. There begins a cycle – parents not satisfied with the choices for their children, the educational experience becomes limited because of the system and structure of the educational model… Already I am hearing of parents choosing to educate their children elsewhere, therefore when these children go the school roll drops further, so we have even less teachers and even less subjects, and the cycle continues until there comes a day when there is no secondary education on Tiree and Argyll & Bute Council did not even have to discuss closure because we managed to do that all by ourselves!!!!!

We are not talking about a huge amount of money. In relative terms that means we are looking for 7.5% of Tilley’s earnings. The comments people have contributed have been very thought provoking.

One comment is that we have plans, funded by Tilley, for new buildings and expansion of existing buildings, yet as a community we are happy to send our children to one of the worst buildings on the island.

Another comment was that we should not fund teaching posts until the school is restructured. What I have learned, often painfully, is that trying to introduce new ideas into an entrenched system is similar to trying to swim up Niagara Falls!!! The structure of the school will be changed because there is a move away from the traditional model.

The comment was made that if we fund one post we may end up funding other subjects. Where does this stop? Well, we have to start somewhere and if the outcome of funding teachers is that we may end up with a school that attracts families and even becomes a centre of excellence, then why not?

If you support this proposal please drop in at the surgery, stop me on the road, and tell me your views.

Kate MacCallum