This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Extra funding to rebuild crumbling schools
03/02/2003
A new vision for Scotland's school estate was unveiled today, including the announcement of an additional £110 million for building improvements over the next three years.
The school estate strategy Building Our Future - Scotland's School Estate was published by the Scottish Executive and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).
In its response to the National Debate last week the Executive made clear its commitment to improving school buildings and Building Our Future - Scotland's School Estate sets out a long-term strategy for replacing and revamping worn out schools.
Emphasis will be placed on schools which provide facilities for the wider community as well as for pupils and teachers.
Launching the strategy, Minister for Education Cathy Jamieson said:
"The right physical environment is a vital part of inspiring children to realise their full potential during their school years. They deserve better classrooms, better sports and arts facilities, better dining rooms - in short, they deserve 21 st century schools not the crumbling bricks and mortar that many have to endure due to a legacy of under-investment in school buildings. Good quality design will be key to a successful transformation.
"We are making unprecedented levels of investment available to councils for school buildings across Scotland, enabling them to provide new and refurbished schools with the latest facilities.
"The school estate strategy complements that investment so that all new and rebuilt schools meet the needs of pupils, teachers, parents and the wider community for generations to come. It will transform the school estate in the way the McCrone agreement transformed the teaching profession."
Deputy Minister for Education Nicol Stephen said:
"Partnership will be essential to the success of this strategy. We will be looking to councils to take this work forward and address the years of neglect by replacing run-down buildings with well-built and well-designed ones.
"They will develop local estate management plans which will set out priorities for improving school buildings in every area of Scotland.
"We recognise that councils will need resources to rebuild or refurbish their schools and that successful implementation of the estate strategy will depend on priorities being balanced against resources.
"We have already announced a massive package of investment through Public Private Partnerships to enable councils to begin rebuilding or refurbishing their most run-down schools. Today we are announcing grant funding which will see an additional £110 million of capital investment over the next three years - further proof of our commitment to deliver better school buildings.
"Partnership is critical at the local level and we fully expect councils to work with schools, teachers and parents in the preparation of estate management plans and give headteachers a direct say in how an element of the new funds are spent on improving the quality of life in their schools.
"Our vision is a school estate in which all schools are well-built and well-designed, with excellent facilities for pupils and local authorities."
COSLA's education spokesperson Helen Law said:
"Improvements in Scotland's schools are going from strength to strength. Obviously there is more to be done as the problems caused by years of neglect and under investment in the school estate cannot be wiped out overnight.
"However, what we are currently seeing is the biggest refurbishment and rebuilding programme in living memory and the largest financial investment of all time.
"This new vision for Scotland's schools is what our children deserve. Both our staff and children have a right to be taught and teach in a quality environment. Also, many schools are nowadays seen as community facilities so this is also an investment and vision for our wider communities.
"Scottish local government looks forward to taking forward this strategy in partnership with the Executive. The aim is for every school in Scotland to be of the highest quality."
A £1.15 billion package of investment in new and refurbished schools was announced in June 2002. This will be delivered through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Further PPP bids from councils are currently being considered by the Executive.
The extra £110 million by 2006 announced today is grant funding for local authorities to invest in school buildings The current year's level of funding (£26.7 million) will rise to £36.7 million in 2003-04 (an extra £10 million), £76.7 million in 2004-05 (an extra £50 million) and £76.7 million in 2005-06 (an extra £50 million). This extra £110 million triples the level of annual funding over the next 3 years.
03-04 04-05 05-06
£000s £000s £000s
Aberdeen City 1,156 2,415 2,415
Aberdeenshire 1,607 3,359 3,359
Angus 788 1,647 1,647
Argyll & Bute 737 1,541 1,541
Clackmannanshire 365 763 763
Dumfries and Galloway 1,066 2,228 2,228
Dundee City 934 1,952 1,952
East Ayrshire 898 1,877 1,877
East Dunbartonshire 927 1,938 1,938
East Lothian 665 1,389 1,389
East Renfrewshire 737 1,540 1,540
Edinburgh, City of 2,613 5,462 5,462
Eilean Siar 315 658 658
Falkirk 978 2,043 2,043
Fife 2,439 5,098 5,098
Glasgow City 3,836 8,018 8,018
Highland 1,644 3,436 3,436
Inverclyde 698 1,459 1,459
Midlothian 652 1,362 1,362
Moray 630 1,317 1,317
North Ayrshire 1,022 2,135 2,135
North Lanarkshire 2,641 5,519 5,519
Orkney 227 474 474
Perth and Kinross 891 1,862 1,862
Renfrewshire 1,266 2,646 2,646
Scottish Borders 824 1,722 1,722
Shetland 263 549 549
South Ayrshire 859 1,796 1,796
South Lanarkshire 2,355 4,922 4,922
Stirling 666 1,391 1,391
West Dunbartonshire 746 1,560 1,560
West Lothian 1,255 2,622 2,622
Total 36,700 76,700 76,700
An additional £3 million will be allocated amongst councils next year to help them develop their school estate management plans.