This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Extra funding to rebuild crumbling schools
03/02/2003
A new vision for Scotland's school estate was unveiled
today, including the announcement of an additional £110
million for building improvements over the next three
years.
The school estate strategy
Building Our Future - Scotland's School Estate was
published by the Scottish Executive and the Convention of
Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).
In its response to the National Debate last week the
Executive made clear its commitment to improving school
buildings and
Building Our Future - Scotland's School Estate sets out
a long-term strategy for replacing and revamping worn out
schools.
Emphasis will be placed on schools which provide
facilities for the wider community as well as for pupils
and teachers.
Launching the strategy, Minister for Education Cathy
Jamieson said:
"The right physical environment is a vital part of
inspiring children to realise their full potential during
their school years. They deserve better classrooms, better
sports and arts facilities, better dining rooms - in short,
they deserve 21
st century schools not the crumbling bricks and
mortar that many have to endure due to a legacy of
under-investment in school buildings. Good quality design
will be key to a successful transformation.
"We are making unprecedented levels of investment
available to councils for school buildings across Scotland,
enabling them to provide new and refurbished schools with
the latest facilities.
"The school estate strategy complements that investment
so that all new and rebuilt schools meet the needs of
pupils, teachers, parents and the wider community for
generations to come. It will transform the school estate in
the way the McCrone agreement transformed the teaching
profession."
Deputy Minister for Education Nicol Stephen said:
"Partnership will be essential to the success of this
strategy. We will be looking to councils to take this work
forward and address the years of neglect by replacing
run-down buildings with well-built and well-designed
ones.
"They will develop local estate management plans which
will set out priorities for improving school buildings in
every area of Scotland.
"We recognise that councils will need resources to
rebuild or refurbish their schools and that successful
implementation of the estate strategy will depend on
priorities being balanced against resources.
"We have already announced a massive package of
investment through Public Private Partnerships to enable
councils to begin rebuilding or refurbishing their most
run-down schools. Today we are announcing grant funding
which will see an additional £110 million of capital
investment over the next three years - further proof of our
commitment to deliver better school buildings.
"Partnership is critical at the local level and we fully
expect councils to work with schools, teachers and parents
in the preparation of estate management plans and give
headteachers a direct say in how an element of the new
funds are spent on improving the quality of life in their
schools.
"Our vision is a school estate in which all schools are
well-built and well-designed, with excellent facilities for
pupils and local authorities."
COSLA's education spokesperson Helen Law said:
"Improvements in Scotland's schools are going from
strength to strength. Obviously there is more to be done as
the problems caused by years of neglect and under
investment in the school estate cannot be wiped out
overnight.
"However, what we are currently seeing is the biggest
refurbishment and rebuilding programme in living memory and
the largest financial investment of all time.
"This new vision for Scotland's schools is what our
children deserve. Both our staff and children have a right
to be taught and teach in a quality environment. Also, many
schools are nowadays seen as community facilities so this
is also an investment and vision for our wider
communities.
"Scottish local government looks forward to taking
forward this strategy in partnership with the Executive.
The aim is for every school in Scotland to be of the
highest quality."
A £1.15 billion package of investment in new and
refurbished schools was
announced in June 2002. This will be delivered through
Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Further PPP bids from
councils are currently being considered by the
Executive.
The extra £110 million by 2006 announced today is grant
funding for local authorities to invest in school buildings
The current year's level of funding (£26.7 million) will
rise to £36.7 million in 2003-04 (an extra £10 million),
£76.7 million in 2004-05 (an extra £50 million) and £76.7
million in 2005-06 (an extra £50 million). This extra £110
million triples the level of annual funding over the next 3
years.
03-04 04-05 05-06
£000s £000s £000s
Aberdeen City
1,156 2,415 2,415
Aberdeenshire 1,607 3,359
3,359
Angus 788
1,647 1,647
Argyll & Bute 737
1,541 1,541
Clackmannanshire 365 763
763
Dumfries and Galloway 1,066 2,228
2,228
Dundee City 934 1,952
1,952
East Ayrshire 898 1,877
1,877
East Dunbartonshire 927 1,938
1,938
East Lothian 665 1,389
1,389
East Renfrewshire 737 1,540
1,540
Edinburgh, City of 2,613 5,462
5,462
Eilean Siar 315
658 658
Falkirk 978
2,043 2,043
Fife 2,439
5,098 5,098
Glasgow City 3,836 8,018
8,018
Highland 1,644
3,436 3,436
Inverclyde 698
1,459 1,459
Midlothian 652
1,362 1,362
Moray 630
1,317 1,317
North Ayrshire 1,022 2,135
2,135
North Lanarkshire 2,641 5,519
5,519
Orkney
227 474 474
Perth and Kinross 891 1,862
1,862
Renfrewshire 1,266
2,646 2,646
Scottish Borders 824 1,722
1,722
Shetland
263 549 549
South Ayrshire 859
1,796 1,796
South Lanarkshire 2,355 4,922
4,922
Stirling
666 1,391 1,391
West Dunbartonshire 746 1,560
1,560
West Lothian 1,255
2,622 2,622
Total 36,700
76,700 76,700
An additional £3 million will be allocated amongst
councils next year to help them develop their school estate
management plans.