WATCH: MSPs raise St Clement's and Beauly schools in the Scottish Parliament
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The Highland school funding crisis was raised by MSP Kate Forbes in the Scottish Parliament as she pressed the case for St Clement’s and Beauly with education secretary Jenny Gilruth.
It comes after the Highland Council gutted the budget for St Clement’s arguing they could not afford the £12.2 million cost of a new school and left it with just £500,000 for maintenance for the next five years extending the 20 year wait for a new build.
No money was put aside for the development of the projects but the council are said to be negotiating and edging closer to the purchase of land in Dingwall for St Clement’s while bosses repeated promises to finish the school – one day.
That situation is not acceptable according to Ms Forbes who described how the schools are currently in a “dire state of disrepair.”
“The cabinet secretary has made clear that Highland Council is responsible for the school estate,” Ms Forbes said. “They have applied for funding to replace additional support needs school St Clement’s and also two other primaries – Dunvegan and Beauly.
“All of them are in a dire state of disrepair, will the Scottish Government be able to advise the council whether or not they have been successful in the bid for LEIP 3 funding?”
The response from Jenny Gilruth acknowledged the strong feelings but ultimately said the funding announcement would come “in due course.”
'Make do and mend'
Conservative Highland MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston slammed what he called the SNP’s “make do and mend approach," which he said is resulting in planned new facilities being "put on the back burner."
"While I am pleased to see this issue being raised again in parliament, it’s obviously very disappointing that it has to be,” he said. “That is a failure of both SNP ministers in Edinburgh and the SNP-led administration on Highland Council.
“It’s an issue I raised with the previous education secretary back in March when Kate Forbes was still Scotland’s finance secretary. And this is a question of funding; funding that has not been provided by an SNP Government which has squeezed local council budgets over its 16 years in power.
“That has put pressure on councils’ ability to deliver essential public services or to invest in much-needed capital projects like new schools.
“As a result, we’re seeing a 'make do and mend' approach from the SNP where money is spent keeping buildings habitable and usable, but where planned new facilities are put on the back burner.
“That means teachers, parents and pupils in Dunvegan, Beauly and other communities in the Highlands are left wondering when the new schools they were promised will actually be delivered.
"Surely a good standard of education and being taught in good accommodation shouldn’t be too much to expect for the Highlands?”.
This Scottish Government needs to 'put education first'
Aird and Loch Ness Councillor Helen Crawford welcomed the matter being raised in the Scottish Parliament.
She said: "It’s about time the poor state of our schools in Highland is brought to the attention of those who set the various funding streams at the Scottish Government level.
"Time and time again, we’ve been told at Highland Council that certain funds are earmarked for certain projects and we can’t touch them. Millions are being spent on active travel, cycle paths and the like.
"Whilst these are welcome, this is surely time to decide where our priorities lie. We have schools that are crumbling such as Beauly Primary, Charleston Academy and of course our special school, St Clements in Dingwall and many more.
"This Scottish Government needs to reprioritise and put education first because it is shameful that a child starting out in, say Beauly Primary then proceeding to Charleston Academy in Inverness, faces up to 18 years of education in schools that are not fit for purpose.
"And at Highland Council, we need to think again and reprioritise so that all of our children get a decent education in schools that are fit for purpose."
