Euan McGrory: Unfair to call Currie High School protest parents snobs

IT was very quickly clear that there is considerable concern about the city's plans for schools across west Edinburgh.
Currie High SchoolCurrie High School
Currie High School

That is no surprise with such sweeping changes. There are clearly a lot of positives in the proposals. Not least the idea of a long-awaited new school for hundreds of pupils who would benefit immensely from the kind of modern facilities that you can see at, for example, the new Porty High on the other side of the city. There are also just as clearly a lot of potential downsides, including disruption, the impact of new development and the potential loss of community in two areas where the high school has provided a genuine focus.

One of the biggest concerns of parents in Currie is the possible impact of any changes on their high school’s excellent exam results. It is easy to understand why those parents are being accused of snobbery by some in Wester Hailes who feel the protests suggest their Currie counterparts think all the kids from WHEC are oiks. That, however, is unfair, and, in the vast majority of cases at least, untrue. Every parent wants what is best for their child. They want to keep the best of what they have and improve the rest. The city must work with them to ensure that happens.

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