WATCH: Highland Council school funding cuts raised THREE TIMES in Holyrood
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Shockwaves from Highland Council’s bombshell decision not to fund 10 new school building projects reached Holyrood where it was raised at First Minister’s Questions and then with the education secretary.
It emerged that schools holding out for the long delayed announcement for the Learning Estate Improvement Programme (LEIP) funding may lose out to those affected by collapse-risk concrete.
Instead of providing answers the deputy First Minister Shona Robison, stepping in for Humza Yousaf, and education secretary Jenny Gilruth rested on the SNP’s record, blamed Westminster and said an announcement would be made “in due course.”
But hearing that about 60 per cent of schools were in good or satisfactory condition when the SNP took power in 2014 compared to more than 91 per cent now is likely to be of little comfort.
Schools like St Clement’s have been campaigning for a new building for more than two decades but repeatedly miss out while the need for new buildings at Beauly Primary, Charleston Academy and others is extreme.
‘Anger that is felt by pupils, teachers and communities’
Highland Labour MSP Rhoda Grant was first out of the gate today when she challenged Deputy First Minister Robison refused to apologise for the delay in announcing the funding which she said would be made “in due course.”
Mrs Grant described that response as “an insult” as Ms Robison said funding may be reserved for schools with a severe collapse-risk reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) – Charleston Academy is one such school.
Speaking afterwards Mrs Grant said: “The delays to these funds has had a detrimental effect on several communities across Highland. The third phase of this funding was supposed to be allocated in December 2022 so to be told today that Parliament will be updated ‘in due course’, is an insult.
“I completely share the anger that is felt by pupils, teachers and communities. These schools are not fit for purpose and our local authority has been vocal in its financial struggles.
“It is about time that the Scottish Government stops this narrative of ‘responsibility lies with local authorities’ and take some meaningful action to update the school estate.”
