My daughter turned one a few months ago.
Everyone says it all goes by in a flash, and it has so far, so I try to live as much in the moment with her as I can.
We’re lucky there are some very supportive parent groups here and she already loves to go swimming at Moray Leisure Centre and Lossiemouth.
I can’t help but think about the future though. Principally, what life will be like for her growing up in Elgin.
The first big one is schools. Where will she go? How will she get there? Is my maths still good enough to help her with her homework?
But the future of schools across Moray is far from certain at the moment.
Would I want my daughter to go to the schools I did?
So, I think about the rural schools I went to myself.
I grew up next to old fishing cottages at Tangleha’, just outside St Cyrus near Montrose, and needed to take a short bus ride to class.
My first-ever days at school were in a portacabin. I was obviously a lot smaller then, but it still felt cramped and noisy.
The reason we were outside was a big new extension and refurbishment was being finished. Once that was open, St Cyrus was the perfect school. It made a big difference.
My memories of secondary school at Mearns Academy in Laurencekirk are very different.
Firstly, I should stress the teaching was great. The school buildings though were a hotchpotch of different designs spanning about a century with a network of portacabins outside to cope with the increasing roll.
Parts of the building were previously a primary school. Looking back, I think we got used to sinks at our knees in the bathrooms, but with today’s eyes it’s clear the building was well past its best.
Would my experience have been better at the replacement school opened in 2014? I don’t know, probably.
Would I want my daughter to go to the new building over the one I went to? Yes, definitely.
Larger modern schools in Moray or smaller rural schools?
Moray Council is currently examining the future of all schools as it admits the current estate is unaffordable.
Half of the 44 primary schools currently fall below the minimum standards for condition, with five of the eight secondary schools also below that mark.
Those are shocking statistics.
There is an endless debate to be had about who is to blame, but the losers are our children and teachers.
In the past Moray Council has made attempts to shut schools with a clear intention to save money. It’s no surprise the proposals were dropped after a huge public backlash.
The current process is backed with a £300 million budget to spend on improving schools with new builds, extensions and extensive refurbishments. It’s a huge opportunity.
But here’s the catch. In rural areas where schools are under capacity it will likely lead to some mergers and, inevitably, communities being left without a school.
This is where it gets difficult. Would I want to commit to my daughter getting a bus to school over having one a short walk away?
It’s a difficult one for me to answer. I always got the bus to school, so I never had the experience of my parents dropping me off at the gates or stopping off at a park on the way home with pals.
We were always hanging off the back of seats at the back of the bus as far away from the driver as possible.
If it meant she was going to a more modern fit-for-purpose school though, I think I know what I would choose.
Why the rural schools argument is different
With rural schools in Moray though, talks about the future will always be based on more than numbers.
I’ll admit that when my wife and I were looking at homes whether there was a school or not was something we considered. I’m sure we’re not alone in that.
We want our rural communities to be attractive for families so they are sustained long into the future, and schools play a big part in that.
I know the rural element to the schools I went to in St Cyrus and Laurencekirk contributed hugely to why I enjoyed them.
At the time, the thought of going to class in the big smoke of Stonehaven or Montrose would have sounded scary.
I’m sure some families in rural parts of Moray may have similar feelings about sending their children to Elgin, Buckie or Forres.
It shows that when it comes to schools, it’s never just about the numbers and the savings that can be made.
It’s about the education of our children and ensuring that’s done in a comfortable environment.
If that means there’s a case some schools are kept against the advice of accountants, then I hope that’s the case.
David Mackay is a Moray-based journalist with the Press and Journal. He lives in Elgin.
Read more about Moray schools
- Protest songs, public marches, parent pressure: A history of Moray school closure proposals and what is happening today
- Moray Council warns school closures are inevitable – but argues pupils will be better off
- How full is your Moray school? Lossiemouth and Elgin High School among four nearing capacity
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