GPS device helps Pilrig Park pupils to school

* Tracking device helps pupils with learning difficulties
* Parents say it gives them peace of mind
* People with dementia could be next users
Learning assistant Bill Lothian with Pilrig Park pupil Craig Nibloe
Learning assistant Bill Lothian with Pilrig Park pupil Craig Nibloe

Two pupils from Pilrig Park school have become the first in Scotland to use a small satnav-style tracking device to help them get to school.

Craig Nibloe, 17, and Peter Ellis, 15, would normally use school transport and get assistance from teachers if they wanted to use public transport.

Now the pair are going to and from school on their own. By carrying the SkyGuard GPS device, teachers will know if the pupils have got home safely.

It is hoped the pair will eventually feel safe enough to travel without the devices and they can be passed on to other pupils. Craig travels from Muirhouse to the school, just off Leith Walk, while Peter comes from Portobello.

The school's head teacher said the boys were making "remarkable progress" and said her staff now have more class-based time.

As well as helping children with special needs, the City of Edinburgh Council hopes the tracker will have other applications.

Peter Ellis uses the GPS to get to and from school Peter Ellis uses the GPS to get to and from school

They hope it can soon be given to people with dementia to help them live in their own homes for longer, rather than move into care homes.

Peter talks in the Audioboo below how he stays in touch with somebody at the school while travelling. His mum Linda also tells us how it has made a 'huge difference' in helping him to progress.


Each device costs the council £25 a month, which covers repairs and maintenance, internet connection, warranties and free upgrades.

Yesterday the pair were awarded certificates for becoming the first in Scotland to have passed a training course in using the devices. After the presentation, local health, social care and housing spokesman Paul Edie spoke about his hopes for a roll-out of the device.


Edie also played down its comparison to the tagging of criminals, saying the GPS system was about "giving freedom, not taking it away."

"There are so many doors that aren't open to you if you aren't able to self-travel. It's an important part of growing and getting your independence. I've had colleague that have children in that position and it really limits what they're able to do, not just in terms of getting out socially, but there are college placements they've not been able to take up and they're very limited in their life chances.

"Tagging is a punitive thing. This is all about helping people to get independence. It's completely approaching it from the opposite point of view. It's giving them freedom, not taking it away. It's giving them support to allow them to live as normal a life as they can manage."

Pilrig Park head teacher Ellen Muir was full of praise for the GPS system. She said:

"Self travel training is always time-consuming for our staff but this technology means we can concentrate on those pupils who need a higher level of support and train more children to gain more confidence and become independent.

"One of the biggest pluses is that students need to be able to self travel so they can attend college so now we should have more taking up further education with more career opportunities being opened up."

She also praised one of the school's self-travel trainers, learning assistant Bill Lothian, who tutored Craig on his five week trial. She said:

"Without Bill's support and enthusiasm for the project help I'm sure Craig wouldn't have made the remarkable progress he did."