Fears for pupils in classroom funding shortfall

The transformation of Scotland’s crumbling school estate is creating a two-tier system, according to a government report.

The transformation of Scotland’s crumbling school estate is creating a two-tier system, according to a government report.

The Scottish Government’s new strategy on future school building, published yesterday, said one emerging concern was that some primaries and secondaries were still in a very poor condition, while others were brand new.

The warning came as Fiona Hyslop, the Education Secretary, announced the first group of schools to benefit from a £1.25bn funding package.

Although the funding for 14 new secondaries has been welcomed, it falls far short of the estimated £5bn required to bring the entire school estate up to an acceptable standard by 2020.

“Part way through such a long-term improvement programme, there is the appearance of something of a two-tier estate, with a marked contrast between schools already improved and those still in need of attention,” the government strategy said.

Judith Gillespie, policy development officer with the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, said many parents were frustrated by the disparity.

“We are moving in the right direction to try to address the chronic under-investment in schools since the 1980s, but families whose children attend schools that have missed out feel very aggrieved, particularly if they see neighbouring schools being rebuilt or refurbished,” she said.

Under the latest investment, 14 secondaries across the country will see improvements as part of a wider strategy that will see £800m of funding from the Scottish Government and £450m from local councils.

However, the announcement was met with derision from opposition politicians, who questioned why it had taken the government more than two years to come up with the funding.

The SNP government set up the Scottish Futures Trust with the aim of providing not-for-profit alternatives to the controversial public private partnership schemes. However, so far it has not come with any alternatives and therefore initial funding will be made using traditional capital investment.

Iain Gray, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, said that, because of the “failure” of the Scottish Futures Trust, many councils had been forced to go it alone on school buildings and refurbishments. He said the announcement was “far too little and far too late”.

Margaret Smith, education spokeswoman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: “Most of the children studying in crumbling buildings will have left school before any improvements are made.”

Fiona Hyslop at the opening of the new Armadale Academy building