Former head slams ‘irony’ from MacLaren

A RETIRED secondary headteacher has hit out at the city’s education leader over a campaign to encourage parents to send their children to their local schools – because she sent her own to private school.

Councillors are trying to address overcrowding at the city’s most popular schools by selling the benefits of their local catchment schools to parents.

Alex Wood, who retired from his headteacher post at Wester Hailes Education Centre this year, said it was “ironic” that Councillor Marilyne MacLaren was leading the campaign.

He said: “It’s amazing what politicians say with a straight face. Marilyne MacLaren is leading a campaign to convince parents to send their children to their local school.

“Ironically, Councillor MacLaren not only didn’t send hers to the local school, she didn’t even send them to a local authority school.”