SNP chalks up 14 new schools – but they won't be finished until 2013

Published on Monday 28 September 2009 22:38

THE Scottish Government yesterday announced the first wave of new schools to be commissioned since the SNP came to power more than two years ago.

But critics claimed that the 14 new secondary schools named by education secretary Fiona Hyslop were "too late" and "not enough."

The Scottish Government had to admit that none of the new schools announced would be ready until 2013 at the earliest.

And there was further confusion over the role of the SNP's controversial Scottish Futures Trust in building them.

Ensuring the SFT was up and running was the main reason ministers had waited to initiate a new school building programme.

Originally conceived as a funding body, it now appears to have an advisory and co-ordination role in the 14 projects.

As revealed in Scotland on Sunday over the weekend, the area to do best from the announcement is Aberdeenshire which is the only council to get two new secondary schools.

One of these – Ellon Academy – is in the heart of First Minister Alex Salmond's Gordon constituency and was highlighted by Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray to embarrass him over the lack of progress on replacing Scotland's 832 crumbling schools.

Making her announcement yesterday, Ms Hyslop said that the programme confirmed the SNP's pledge to match Labour's spending commitments on new schools "brick for brick."

She said that the 1.25 billion programme – two-thirds government funded, one-third from councils – which will eventually see 55 schools build "cutting-edge accommodation and facilities" in which to deliver "21st-century education."

She said that a similar number of primaries announced in the next wave of building December would be ready in 2011.

But Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray pointed out that the programme fell well short of the 100 new schools promised for 2007 by his party had they won the election. He claimed the 14 only made a small impression on the 134 crumbling schools classified as D, bad, and 698 as C, poor.

"This announcement is far too little and far too late," he said. "Scotland was promised a raft of new schools by the SNP but all we get are 14 schools with the 'promise' of more to come. None of these will be completed in the lifetime of this parliament and this shows the complete failure of Salmond's Futures Trust."

There was also confusion over how the schools were selected.

There was a cautious welcome from Scotland's biggest teaching union and council leaders.

An EIS spokesman said: "While all investment to provide a much-needed upgrade to the school estate is welcome, this announcement is only a small step towards delivering adequate school buildings for Scotland's pupils and teachers."

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities' education spokeswoman Isabel Hutton said: "This is just the start of the 1.25 billion programme, and COSLA will work in full partnership with the Scottish Government every step of the way."

HALLS OF SHAME

Ellon Academy in Aberdeenshire

Busy road splits campus. Inadequate cafeteria facilities.

Mearns Academy in Aberdeenshire

Toilets designed for primary children, lacks sports facilities and dining hall is too small.

Brechin High in Angus

Problems with the heating system often made rooms too hot.

Dalbeattie High in Dumfries and Galloway

Some parts of the school are inaccessible to people with physical disabilities.

Harris Academy in Dundee

One of the oldest secondary buildings in the city.

Auchmuty High in Fife

The changing rooms in physical education were unsatisfactory

Wick High in Highland

The boiler regularly breaks down, creating heating problems.