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New classrooms for 35,000 pupils
30/09/2008
Over the last year 35,000 more children across Scotland got their lessons in new state-of-the-art classrooms.
The latest school estate statistics show 115 school building projects were completed in the last financial year.
Cabinet Secretary for Education Fiona Hyslop visited one of the refurbishment projects at Pentland Primary School in Edinburgh.
Ms Hyslop said:
"I am delighted that 35,000 more children across Scotland are getting their lessons in modern, state-of-the-art classrooms.
"Today's figures show we are well on track to meeting our commitment of lifting over 100,000 school pupils out of poor quality school buildings and classrooms by 2011, and providing them with cutting-edge accommodation and facilities fit for delivering Curriculum for Excellence.
"We are matching the previous administration's school building programme brick for brick and we have honoured our commitment to continue to improve the school estate. Today's figures clearly show work is continuing apace to improve the school estate.
"Currently there is more than £2 billion of committed investment in Scotland's schools.
"Since May last year, this Government has signed-off funding for seven major local authority projects, with a further four projects in the pipeline, which will take the total to over 50 schools. Combined these eleven projects have a capital value of around £1 billion, financially supported by decisions of this Government. Many authorities are making schools their continuing investment priority. The Infrastructure Investment Plan shows a further £1 billion being invested in schools by authorities over next 5 years.
"In total we expect 250 schools to be built, funded or under construction through various funding mechanisms during the life of this parliament. On top of this many other schools will benefit from various improvements to fabric and facilities, to provide the state-of-the-art facilities our pupils deserve.
"And as we made clear in our response to the audit report earlier this month, the next steps are to finalise our longer-term strategy to ensure a modern, quality learning environment for Scotland's pupils and to develop the role of the new Scottish Futures Trust whose establishment was announced earlier this month.
"We also highlighted that Scotland needs a longer-term, targeted strategy for the school estate beyond the lifetime of this Parliament, one which is properly costed and carefully planned and this needs to be created along with COSLA and local authorities within the context of the historic Concordat. We have set up a joint working group to look at this.
"Working with local government, we will drive this work forward. It is crucial our young people are given every opportunity to thrive during their school years - this Government firmly believes the early years are the crucial years and we want to ensure every child has the best start in life and therefore the best chance to fulfil their potential."
Working Group Information
The Cabinet Secretary announced earlier this month there will be increased momentum behind the improvements following the setting up of a joint Scottish Government/COSLA working group in response to the Audit Scotland report 'Improving the School Estate' which was published earlier this year. The new joint working group will consider how the actions recommended in the report should be taken forward and how Scotland's school estate will continue to be improved in years to come for future generations.
The Audit Scotland report made a number of recommendations, all of which the Scottish Government and COSLA have accepted. Discussions regarding future school estate policy, funding and delivery have already commenced, with the intention of publishing a new School Estate Strategy for the longer-term by spring 2009.
The joint Government and COSLA working group, which also includes representatives from SOLACE, the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and ADES, the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, is to develop the new Strategy for a school estate which is tailored to meet the needs of pupils, teachers and communities, in full support of the Curriculum for Excellence.