This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Designs on Education
12/11/2002
Schoolchildren and their teachers will get the chance to
influence how the classroom of the future should look at
two workshops early in the new year.
Education Minister Cathy Jamieson said that pupils and
teachers should be involved in the design of schools and
classrooms as part of a fresh look at school buildings.
Their ideas, together with those of renowned architects,
will be used to help produce high-quality future school
designs
Ministers want 21st century designs to play an integral
part in the biggest-ever school buildings programme
currently underway. And they want pupils, parents and
teachers to play their part in contributing to school
design.
At a School Design Seminar, the Executive called on
local authorities and architects to use the record
investment in school buildings as an opportunity to create
modern schools which encourage learning and teaching and
which look and feel good.
Cathy Jamieson said:
"We have just embarked on the first phase of the
biggest-ever school building programme - a £1.15 billion
package of investment that will deliver 300 new or
refurbished schools. This is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to create not just new schools but new schools
which pupils want to learn in, teachers want to work in and
which communities feel proud of.
"Two design workshops will be held early in the new
year, backed by £30,000 of Executive cash, to develop
future design ideas - one for children and one for
architects, teachers and other key groups. The ideas will
be published and will act as a template for those involved
in school building projects."
Deputy Culture Minister Dr Elaine Murray said:
"Good architecture should be an integral part of all
building projects, including new schools. Taking good
design and sustainability into account during the
procurement and construction process represents a sound
investment in the future as it can save money over the
lifetime of a building.
"I would like to see Scotland's best architects engaging
with this unique school buildings programme. This is their
opportunity to make their mark on communities across
Scotland."
Deputy Education Minister Nicol Stephen added:
"We must learn from the mistakes of the past. Too many
schools buildings have been dull, uninspiring and
institutional. If pupils are to achieve their fullest
potential then they need to learn in a modern
environment.
"Pupils themselves recognise this. Responses to the
National Debate on Education have also shown that better
school buildings are high on their agenda and are also
important to parents, teachers and the wider
community."
The School Design Seminar brings together architects,
the construction trade, finance professionals and local
authorities to discuss how the design of new school
buildings can be improved. Minister for Education Cathy
Jamieson, Deputy Education Minister Nicol Stephen and
Deputy Culture Minister Dr Elaine Murray all addressed the
seminar.
The Executive announced a £1.15 billion package of
investment in new and refurbished schools in June. This
will see 300 schools significantly refurbished or
rebuilt.
A School Estate Strategy is currently being drawn up by
the Executive and local authorities. Key themes in the
strategy will be: condition - a safe, secure environment;
sufficiency - schools that match demand; suitability -
school accommodation that enables delivery of objectives;
design; and life cycle management. The Strategy will be
published early in the new year.
The design workshops will take place early in the new
year and will be backed by £30,000 of Executive funding
from the Future Learning and Teaching programme.
The two-day children's workshop at the Lighthouse in
Glasgow will give schoolchildren the chance to consider how
the classroom of the future may look. The international
workshop will bring architects from Scotland and abroad
together with key stakeholders to examine the connections
between the quality of the built environment and learning
objectives.
Following the workshops, design options will be
developed in more detail and published to provide new
thinking and ideas. They will also be published on the
national architecture website
www.scottisharchitecture.com.