Lib Dem slams 'dire' state of classrooms

Published on Saturday 7 August 2010 18:37

NEARLY 500 temporary classrooms are being used to teach pupils in schools across Scotland, new figures show.

Aberdeenshire had the most, with 103 temporary classrooms, while North Lanarkshire had 67 and Edinburgh City 54, according to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

But seven authorities, including West Lothian, Shetland and Clackmannanshire, said no lessons were being taught in portable buildings or other temporary rooms.

The figures were obtained by the Scottish Lib Dem MSP Margaret Smith, who said there were "dozens" of schools throughout Scotland in "dire need" of repair work, with many "unusable" classrooms.

The state of Scotland's schools is a contentious issue, with opposition politicians claiming the SNP Government has not done enough to refurbish sub-standard buildings.

Critics have claimed the Scottish Futures Trust, the quango set up by ministers to oversee capital building projects, has failed to deliver new schools.

Smith said: "These figures show that many classrooms are unusable or overcrowded and schools have to rely on temporary accommodation.

"With so much fanfare last November, the SNP reannounced their plans for a school-building programme after wasting two years and lots of money on the discredited Scottish Futures Trust.

"But even under the current plan it is highly likely that not one single school will be newly commissioned and built while the SNP are in power.

"The SNP must examine these figures and ensure that Scottish pupils can learn in schools that are fit for purpose."

But a spokesperson for Education Secretary Michael Russell accused Smith of "incredible hypocrisy".

They said: "When her party left office in May 2007, 36 per cent of Scottish schools were in a poor or bad condition.

"The SNP Government has already slashed that number by more than a third, and we are well on our way to cutting it even further through our school-building programme.

"The Lib Dem and Labour legacy to Scottish pupils was almost 1,000 schools in a state of disrepair. The SNP is putting that right, with more than 260 school-building projects completed since May 2007, with over 110,000 pupils already lifted from sub-standard schools.

"Only a small fraction of classes - around three per cent - are now taught in temporary accommodation, and the figure is falling all the time."