It should be no surprise that education evokes such strong reactions in Moray Council’s chambers.
It is what they spend the majority of their budget on and is arguably their most important function, although given some of the reaction to grass cutting reductions during recent weeks that may be open to debate.
However, yesterday’s meeting of Moray Council’s children and young people’s committee, which stretched to nearly six hours, was particularly emotive.
On one side of debate were councillors examining data from across all schools, looking at trends against national figures and other regions to draw conclusions about how our children are performing and ensuring they continue to reach their potential.
On the other were other members and education staff who say that every child’s circumstances are unique and they can only be judged on their own merits.
Arguably, they are both right. No child should be made to feel undervalued for not achieving straight As but of course each should be made to strive to reach their best among their peers.
The biggest tragedy is that some of our brightest talent may be missing out on opportunities that may never come again for them due to the continued recruitment issues.
It is no fault of their’s and no fault of Moray Council’s amid a national crisis but is undoubtedly affecting our next generation.