Scots councils urged to check schools after Edinburgh closures

COUNCILS across Scotland have been urged to check school buildings after the closure of 17 schools in Edinburgh amid safety concerns.

The collapsed wall at Oxgangs Primary School in January. Picture: Toby Williams

Five high schools, 10 primary schools and two additional support needs schools in the capital will be closed from Monday.

It is still unclear when they will be re-opened.

9,000 school children have been left with no where to go when the summer term starts, including those sitting exams.

• READ MORE: Safety fears to shut 17 Edinburgh schools

It is now feared that all schools built under the same private finance contract as those in Edinburgh could pose a safety risk to children and staff.

Education secretary Angela Constance said: “It is too early to assess any wider implications for schools in other parts of Scotland.

“However, Scottish Government officials have written to all local authorities this weekend to ask them to carry out any necessary checks on their own estate as soon as possible.

“We understand that all of the affected buildings in Edinburgh were completed over 10 years ago.

“We will ensure that, as more information about the nature of the issue in Edinburgh is established, this is passed on to other local authorities to assist them in this process.”

• READ MORE: School closures: Council leader says PPP firm ‘let city down’

In Edinburgh, structural problems were first discovered after part of a wall blew off Oxgangs Primary during Storm Gertrude in January.

The school was closed in March after an investigation found problems with the walls.

Three more schools, all part of the same PPP1 contract, closed less than a week later.

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