The Mull School Saga has been rumbling on for nearly two years now, with people on the island speaking out, protesting, and even taking the local council to court over hugely controversial plans that will affect communities for generations.

Despite – or perhaps because of – all the conflict, there has been little actual progress towards a resolution, but could an announcement by the First Minister mean that some sort of solution is now, finally, in sight?

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter.

Pretty much everyone agrees that the Tobermory High School needs to be replaced. The building is not in good condition, and a refurbishment wouldn’t cut it. A new school fit for a 21st century education is what people on Mull deserve.

But the location is hugely controversial.

The current arrangement, with the island’s only secondary located in the north east of Mull, excludes children from the south of the island due to the distances they would have to travel each day. Therefore, instead of staying at home during their teenage years, they are sent to a state-run hostel in Oban and attend school on the mainland.

Mainland authorities separating island children from their families (while arguing that it is somehow beneficial) may have been acceptable in the past, but it looks very different these days. In an era where young people have a wide range of rights incorporated into the country’s legal framework, any unnecessary forced separation from their families would likely be indefensible.

The status quo on Mull has also had other damaging effects, with many arguing that the lack of equitable education provision is driving population........

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