Education consultant to assess impact of construction on school pupils

Shetland Islands Council has appointed an education consultant to assess how building a new Anderson High School at the Knab might affect pupils being taught in the midst of construction activity.

Michael O’Neill, a former teacher who was once director of education for North Lanarkshire Council, has been brought in as part of the current independent review which is comparing the relative merits of building at the Knab or moving to a fresh site at Clickimin/Staney Hill, as the SIC had originally decided to do 10 years ago.

The idea of hiring an educationalist to look at the impact on pupils was not part of the original brief for the review but was suggested subsequently in a bid to address parents’ concerns.

Mr O’Neill will also assess whether there would be any impact on pupils from building on a fresh site and shifting Shetland’s biggest school across town.