OPINION: Councillor Andrew Kain on the Mull campus location

An unrepresentative but extraordinarily vocal group of residents of Mull have attracted extraordinary media attention. They are distorting reality, undermining the future for all children, while jeopardising economic potential on Mull. 

 

The argument put forward suggests ‘fairness’ and equality. The notion that greater equality can be achieved by centralising the school. The only equality that would achieve would be an ‘equality of disadvantage’. Indeed, some children currently travelling by bus would have additional travel time imposed. 

 

The council’s report highlights the stark realities of the situation; a situation obvious to pretty much every local on Mull. 

 

I want the best potential future for every child on Mull along with much greater commercial as well as educational opportunities. Achieving the Scottish Government’s objectives of repopulating the Highlands and Islands while developing a future for every child on the islands can only be achieved through economic development, not by moving the school. 

 

Schools on their own do not create employment opportunities. Enabling business creates employment thereby enabling retention of young people and population growth. 

 

But why - in the context of future development - Tobermory and not Craignure?             

 

It is no accident the main population centre is Tobermory. It has the best natural harbour in the West, maybe Scotland. It was the centre of commerce for the islands prior to the advent of the railway. While the economy has shifted, the topography of the island maintains. Tobermory harbour presents huge potential in a new, sustainable, economy to benefit all Mull and Scotland. 

 

Craignure is a child of previous economic decline. But for the largess of a Tobermory man providing £50,000 of construction costs (around £1.3 million in today’s money) there would be no pier in Craignure. 

 

The topography remains the same and there exists huge potential for the whole of Scotland from the Blue Economy off the shores of the West and North coasts. An extraordinary amount has been written by government and private sector on the Blue Economy and its potential. Tobermory is well placed to capitalised on this potential to the benefit of children’s education and all people of Mull and Scotland.

 

However, the reality, as shown by the council’s report, is that moving the school to a central location would have a significant and negative impact on Tobermory’s economy, people’s lives and their futures. 

 

An ‘equality of disadvantage’ achieved by a central school is not in anyone’s interest, unless the objective is to spurn opportunity, speed up decline and achieve ‘dormitory status’ for Mull.

 

Unfortunately, many demands for equity are from those just arrived in these islands. People are always welcome; but I believe while giving an Island welcome, islanders have a right to expect common courtesies in return. Successfully integrating into, and contributing positively to, any community – anywhere – demands understanding the dynamics. Unless the objective is to achieve a 21st century equivalent of a subsidised good-life, foregoing future development.

 

Children’s education is critical but it is only a vibrant and growing economy that can provide the resources to enable opportunities. There is no magic money tree and no one has the superiority of rights.

 

There is no right to achieve an ‘equality of disadvantage’ that would actually limit educational development and future potential. 

 

Declining populations on the islands has been going on for centuries. The early 1830s shows the population of Mull at over 8,000 souls. The UK government in 1973 actually identified ‘Mull’ as a case for attention backed by research (the vagaries of UK politics preventing action). 

 

Massive opportunities do exist now in the Blue Economy and it is incumbent on us all to do everything we can to ensure that the Scottish Government, Argyll and Bute and other island communities grasp the opportunities presented for our children and their futures now. 

 

Most importantly, children’s education is critical for everyone’s future. No child will benefit if an ‘equality of disadvantage’ is achieved. Replacing Tobermory high school at a site in Tobermory is, from every perspective, the only credible, common sense, option.