Army 'set to pay' half blind girl's school fees

A DISABLED teenager, refused a place at a special school by Edinburgh city council because of the cost, could now have her fees paid, after the army stepped in.

Ciara McGearey, 13, was denied a place at the Royal Blind School after the local authority said she should go to a council-run special school instead.

It insisted the 38,000-a-year costs of sending her to the independent school were too high even though Ciara had attended the school previously, with fees picked up by the local authority, until her army father was posted elsewhere. Now, it is understood the army could be set to pay half her fees, if the council agrees to pick up the rest.

Both parties yesterday confirmed they were in talks and Ciara's parents said an agreement was expected in "the near future".

Ciara, who lost her sight when just three days old after contracting meningitis, is currently attending the Royal Blind school after her father, Mac, a soldier with the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, raised the funds himself.

He undertook a 500-mile walk to pay for her first term fees.

A spokeswoman for Edinburgh city council said: "The legalities of the situation are currently not finalised in detail and, until then, it would not be appropriate to comment further."