Why cap doesn't fit for school

THIS is a plea from a former pupil of Portobello High asking the Labour council not to cut the capacity of the new Portobello High School. Such a move would unnecessarily limit the number of east Edinburgh pupils who could benefit from the excellent teaching on offer.

Next year will mark the tenth year since I left Portobello High. I remember my years at the school with great affection. While the building was in no fit state, the toilets were a scary place and maths was taught in the canteen, the teaching was brilliant.

Since leaving the school I have continued to hear lots of great stories about what is going on in Portobello through my role as a local guide leader. The fact that so many of the teachers that taught me are still at the school is testament to the school's wonderful engagement with pupils.

Portobello High School is such an important part of the community in Portobello that it makes me really angry that the building and its infrastructure has been allowed to fall into such a shabby state. That is why I am delighted that after so many years of inaction, and following pressure from the school board, the council has finally agreed that building a new Portobello High School is a priority. I hope that doesn't take too long and the council is successful in its bid for the extra government funds it needs to make this happen.

I was initially dismayed to hear the council planned to cap the number of pupils at the new school at 1200. That would have been a great disappointment to parents and would have drastically limited choice for east Edinburgh parents and pupils outwith the current catchment.

Thankfully, when the council debated the issue on December 21, the Conservative Group successfully moved an amendment motion calling for a report to investigate the possibility of building the school to a capacity of 1400 - the same as the current school. I believe that when this report is received it is vital the council takes the decision to maintain the current capacity.

This issue is unfortunately not one only being faced by Portobello High. It is part of a wider agenda being driven by Labour across the city. There is choice of schools for parents who can afford it; those who can buy a house in a nice neighbourhood or move into the independent sector; yet Labour seem determined to deny this choice to so many parents across the city by placing caps on our schools. Why shouldn't good schools be allowed to expand to allow more pupils to benefit from the wonderful teaching on offer? To date, only the Conservatives have opposed school capping. Capping imposed by Labour that means parents can't get their children into a school, even when the schools have empty places available.

The Labour administration accepted the Conservative amendment. I hope this is a signal that they have seen sense on Portobello High. With luck, and with the need for politicians to heed the voices of parents with an election approaching, we may see the reversal of their capping policy, extending greater choice and opportunities to pupils across Edinburgh.

• Alison Miller attended Portobello High between 1991 and 1997 and is the Conservative candidate in Portobello and Craigmillar for next year's council elections