Three-month wait to repair school's leaking classroom

Published on Tuesday 8 September 2009 09:49

A SCHOOL which has to abandon one of its classrooms whenever it rains has been told it will have to wait at least three months to get the roof repaired.

Pupils in one of the primary seven classrooms at Buckstone Primary have had to be evacuated at least twice since the start of the new term due to heavy rainfall.

It is also understood there are several leaks in the roof – one of them next to some electrical equipment in the room, which means the lights and video projector need to be switched off whenever it rains.

But despite making several complaints, parents have been told that the work to repair the leaking roof will have to go out to tender, which will take at least three months.

Parent Scott Arthur, whose daughter is in the affected class, said: "Since the school term started she has commented repeatedly that her classroom leaks whenever it rains.

"Whilst leaks in public buildings are not unknown, this one is particularity problematic as it is apparently adjacent to electrical equipment; I understand that the lights and video projector are switched off whenever it rains.

"Indeed, I also understand that the situation was so bad (on one particular day] that the room had to be abandoned and the class was transferred to the library."

Councillor Elaine Aitken, who represents the Colinton and Fairmilehead ward, first raised this issue with the council years ago.

She said: "The annoying thing is that if something had been done about it then, it would have been a cheaper and less difficult problem to tackle but, of course, nothing has been done.

"It looks like it's going to be a major job costing lots of money. It looks like it can't be patched up because it's been left that long that it's too big a job so only major works will fix it.

"I'm urging the council to try and get it done as quickly as possible to help minimise the disruption to the school. It's not fair on the children or teachers to have to put up with this."

A spokesman for the council said: "The size and timing of this repair job will depend entirely on the condition of the roof, which is being inspected.

If this does require a larger project then we are required to go out to tender, which unfortunately takes time."

PARENTS OUTLINE PLAN TO DEFEND FORT

PARENTS fighting to save Fort Primary from closure were today set to put forward an alternative proposal to councillors.

Education chiefs want to close the Leith primary and the nearby Victoria Park Child and Family Centre, while retaining the existing nursery and community wing at Fort and mothballing the school.

But parents are proposing that the council downsizes Fort by moving primary one and two pupils into the main building, freeing up the infant wing for use by the centre.