By Liz Cameron, Former Lord Provost of Glasgow

WHEN I had the great honour some years ago to visit Notre Dame High School and address the student body as Lord Provost of Glasgow, I felt keenly my debt to the ideals of Notre Dame and its worldwide community, dedicated to the education of young girls, the children of the poor and to justice and inclusion. I’ve tried to live by those tenets during all my years of public service and I owe my teachers and the sisters of Notre Dame a huge debt of gratitude.

It is always uplifting to see the young women of today confident and assured; still encouraged in that special place; just as I and my school friends were.

Coming from all corners of Glasgow, then as now, we benefited hugely from having supportive role models in the sisters and teachers. And, in my case, the best English teacher ever who encouraged me to study Literature at university. And so it remains today. The school’s young women to whom we will inevitably hand over the baton, are feisty and fearless and continue to make a difference.

Importantly they are encouraged to consider careers in medicine, science and engineering as the norm. To break glass ceilings and ignore their gender. So it truly saddens me that the very uniqueness of Notre Dame and its inclusive ethic is again being challenged. The only state sector all-girls’ secondary is apparently regarded by some as antiquated and archaic. Oh, and it’s unfair to boys in the catchment area of the west end. That is despite the fact that all ND primary pupils can access at secondary level Glasgow’s top-performing state schools, like the excellent St Thomas Aquinas. Hyndland and Hillhead are also within walking distance.

Ironically the advocates of change wilfully ignore the essential inclusiveness of my former school. For well over 100 years it has opened its doors to girls from Pollokshields to Patrick, from the west end to Easterhouse. That is its strength and its purpose. Many pupils are from our vibrant ethnic communities; many girls come from disadvantaged areas. For the 72 pe rcent who choose via placement to send their girls to Notre Dame, they are rewarded with passionate teachers who encourage them to grasp their life chances.

Like me actually.

I shared my education, my hopes and dreams with the daughters of the well-to-do; the children of doctors, lawyers, business people. The daughter of the Indian High Commissioner was in my class. I came from Partick and my dad was a piano tuner who sought only that his daughter be educated to her ability. And Notre Dame came up with the goods.

And, just this week, I heard from former pupils, parents and current pupils who also value the importance of this welcoming inclusive place where girls have the choice to be educated in a single-sex environment.

This centenary memorial year of partial granting of suffrage to women tragically underpins that women are still discriminated against; equal pay for equal work is still not achieved. And crucially, woman are still silenced and harassed.

If the status of this great Glasgow school is compromised then, without shadow of a doubt, it will be to the huge disadvantage of many of our less affluent communities beyond the west end who have aspirations and deserve opportunity too.

Our state schools are excellent and of that I’m very proud. I strongly support, however, the continued existence of this special school where future generations of young women can flourish, no matter their circumstances or whence they hail.