Caithness Head Teacher’s Money-Saving Idea Sponsors Eco Project
A Caithness head teacher has donated her reward for a money-saving idea in The Highland Council’s staff incentive scheme to fund an Eco Project at her school.
Lillian Wark, Head Teacher at Pulteneytown Academy Primary School, Wick, received the highest award to date of £660 through the Staff Incentive Scheme and this has kick-started an environmental project, involving senior pupils.
Ms Wark was concerned about the high cost of the water bills the school received. In consultation with the school janitor, John Scobbie, she arranged for the water to the boys’ toilet to be turned off each night after the pupils had left the building, and on again in the morning before the pupils returned. The same practice is repeated on school holidays and at weekends.
This reduced the continual flow of water to the cistern in the boy’s toilet when they are not in use. The water meter was read weekly over a period of two and a half years and the water usage showed a marked reduction in use compared to the previous period. Over a two year comparison period, Ms Wark reduced water use by an average of £1,600 per year.
Her idea is set to save the Council £145,000 each year through the installation of new sensors in urinals at older schools and in public conveniences to conserve water.
The Highland Council’s Convener Sandy Park and Chief Executive Alistair Dodds visited the school yesterday to commend the head teacher and janitor on their award-winning efficiency idea.
Councillor Park said: “Our congratulations go to Ms Wark and her school for this money-saving idea. This is a considerable saving and was achieved with very little additional effort and time. It is an ingenious idea and Lillian is to be highly commended for donating the money for the school’s Eco project.”
Ms Wark said: “Our first Eco project is to build a wildlife garden and the P7 class with their teacher, Mrs Harper, have already started the designing and planning. After that we intend to start on a nursery garden under the watchful eye of our Depute Head, Mrs Budge.
“The Eco-council of pupils has just been elected and their first priority will be to audit our current practices in school and then draw up a plan of action to make us more Eco-friendly. As soon as our parent council is elected next week, we hope to also involve parents in our plans as we try to reduce, reuse and recycle.”
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