Scores of Cambuslang youngsters are having to attend school in Uddingston.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that more and more youngsters in the Cambuslang East area go to Uddingston Grammar, which is around five miles away.
And now campaigners for a new school in Cambuslang have warned that number will continue to increase as Cathkin and Stonelaw high schools reach capacity.
South Lanarkshire Council’s projected numbers show that by 2025 they are expecting 85 youngsters from Cambuslang to be assigned to Uddingston in that year alone.
In comparison, 50 pupils were assigned to Uddingston in 2020, an increase of 15 on the number sent there in 2019.
The majority of pupils being sent to Uddingston are in the Drumsagard and Newton areas, after the local authority classed Uddingston as the catchment high school for pupils attending Newton Farm primary.
Both areas continue to see new housing being constructed, which in turn will see the number of children increase as more families move in.
Dougie Beard, the chairman of Halfway community council, told the Reformer: “This has been an issue for years now.
“We have repeatedly spoken to South Lanarkshire Council about it, who have often said the money is not there [for a new school]. We’ve spoken to John Swinney [the education secretary] and he refers us back to the council.
“They are including the new homes in Newton and Drumsagard in Uddingston Grammar’s catchment area and ignoring the problems for pupils to get there.
“And if they aim to expand present school sites then all that does is take green space or playing grounds away.”
The community council had previously suggested that the site of the former Dalton school in Cambuslang, which is designated for use for educational purposes, could serve as the location for a new school.
Glasgow list MSP James Kelly is calling for a new school to be built in Cambuslang and claimed that the current situation is “not good enough”.
He said: “This move initially sought to reduce the pressure on our local schools, but these figures show that now Uddingston is becoming a more permanent resolution.
“It’s simply not good enough, I have been raising concerns around the capacity of our existing high schools for some time and I am pledging to fight for a new secondary school should I be re-elected in May.
“It’s not fair to expect pupils to attend school in a completely different local area, leaving them to struggle with suitable transport, and often living far away from many of their friends.
"To make matters worse, there is no easy way of travelling to Uddingston Grammar from Newton and Drumsagard on public transport, and no safe or reasonable walking route.
“This means the council has put pupils in a position where they will be hindered if they can’t access a car.
“I have already heard from constituents whose children have to miss out on important activities like supported study, as a direct result of these issues.
“It’s time for the council to get serious and put pupils first. We need a new high school for Cambuslang East so pupils can attend a school in their own community.”
Mr Kelly has made a new school for Cambuslang one of his campaign pledges as he seeks to become Rutherglen’s MSP in May.
Lynn Sherry, head of education at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “Uddingston Grammar is currently the catchment high school for pupils who are within Newton Farm Primary School’s catchment area.
“This was implemented after a statutory public consultation, which also allowed any child within this area who had an older sibling attending Cathkin High to have the choice of either school.
“We review pupil projections on an ongoing basis.”
