Edinburgh education chiefs urged to give reassurances that uncertainty over Gaelic school will not delay new Liberton High School

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The council wants to build the two schools on a joint campus, but the SNP’s Holyrood election manifesto promised a stand-alone Gaelic secondary school in a central location, which appears to chime with the preferences of many Gaelic parents.

And a decision on launching a statutory consultation on the council’s plans was postponed for a week while officials sought “clarity” from the Scottish Government over its intentions.

But Liberton/Gilmerton Labour councillor Lezley Marion Cameron said the questions surrounding the Gaelic school must not delay the Liberton project.

She said: "People have been campaigning for this for a very long time. It is one of the oldest schools in the city and there are a whole lot of reasons why we need a new high school – and the council recognises that. I don't want any further complication to get in the way of progressing that."

She stressed she was not being critical in any way of Gaelic school provision.

But she said: “I want to make sure everything with Liberton is progressing as planned. People need to be reassured the progress we've made continues, irrespective of whether the Gaelic school is co-located with Liberton or not.”

The existing secondary-age Gaelic-medium education unit at James Gillespie's High has to move because the school is at capacity with pupil numbers set to grow. A survey last year found just 15 per cent of Gaelic parents supported the Liberton joint campus proposal.

A council spokesman said: “Any proposal for a Gaelic high school on the Liberton High School site does not impact on our plans for a replacement Liberton. The Scottish Government confirmed in December that a new Liberton High School is included in Phase 2 of their Learning Estate Investment Programme and we have committed funds in future budgets as part of our ambitious new school building programme which will see more than £500m planned investment over the next decade.”

The new Liberton High School is planned to open in August 2025.

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