In the face of an unprecedented decline in the state of Highland school buildings, the Scottish Conservatives on Highland Council have called for urgent action, including a formal state of emergency being declared on the schools estate, in much the same way as the Council has previously declared a climate emergency. The difference here is that the cause of the schools estates problems sit squarely with years of neglect and poor decisions by Highland Council, not helped by the SNP-controlled Scottish Government deliberately starving the Highlands of hundred of £millions of funds over many years whilst wasting billions on separatist extremist and failed eco-fanatic policies that have only made things worse for Scots. As a result of failed Nationalist policies and chaotic Highland Council Administrations over the last 15 years, the school estate in Highland in in its worst ever state - and plans for replacement schools have been cut to pieces as Highland Council faces a massive budget shortfall for a decade to come.
Speaking about this emergency, Cllr Helen Crawford said: “Across Scotland the percentage of schools graded A-Good for condition and suitability is almost 91%. That’s in sharp contrast to the situation we have here in The Highlands where not even 20% of our schools are graded A-Good.
And, of more concern, according to statistics provided on the Scottish Government‘s own website, 10% of secondary schools across Scotland are rated C-Poor in contrast to 37% here in The Highlands.
We know that thousands of our children across the Highlands are spending their school day in buildings that are not fit for purpose. And an unacceptable number of teaching and support staff are spending their working life in those buildings too, and that must impact negatively upon recruitment and retention of teachers. The poor state of schools across Highland is significantly worse than the rest of Scotland. For these reasons, I am calling upon all Highland Councillors to support a motion that I have lodged with Highland Council, declaring a School Estate Emergency until we have fixed the problem that is clearly affecting our children’s education.
In addition to declaring an Emergency, I’m also calling for an immediate Action Plan to improve the state of our schools. The Motion also calls for the Leader of Highland Council to write to The First Minister, the Cabinet Minister for Social Justice, and the Cabinet Secretary for Education, outlining the urgent need for additional resources to address the disparity between Highland school estate and the rest of Scotland. And, precisely because this is an emergency, I am calling for the Leader of the Council to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and invite her to attend the next Full Council Committee and answer questions from Members regarding the funding shortfall.”
FULL WORDING OF THE MOTION
Motion
School Estate Emergency Declaration
This Council notes:
1. Across Scotland the percentage of schools graded as ‘A-Good’ for Condition and Suitability is almost 91%. In Highland, the percentage of schools graded ‘Good’ is under 20%. 34% of primary school buildings across Highland have a rating of ‘C-Poor’ for Condition, compared with 6% for the rest of Scotland. 37% of secondary school buildings across Highland are rated ‘C-Poor’ for Condition, compared with 10% for the rest of Scotland. The deteriorated fabric and condition of school buildings across Highland is acute and significantly worse than those of the rest of Scotland.
2. This Council hugely values education and accepts the condition and suitability of school buildings impacts significantly on the educational opportunities and experiences of our children and young people as well as on the working environment of our valued teaching and support staff.
3. This Council’s applications to the Learning Estate Improvement Plan (LEIP) Phase Three, were wholly unsuccessful - despite the acute need for funding in Highland. And despite the fact that 25% of Scotland’s secondary schools, rated C-Poor for Condition, are located in Highland. And 33% of all Scotland’s primary schools, rated C-Poor for Condition, are located in Highland.
4. The Leader of the Council wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Education following on from her statement in Parliament that she will be taking forward further engagement and collaboration with COSLA to explore how the Scottish Government can address the remaining sub-standard condition schools, and the additional schools required due to population growth.
5. To date, despite the undertaking given by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, no further funding has been identified by the Scottish Government to improve the condition of the Highland school estate.
Therefore, Highland Council declares a School Estate Emergency and will:
• establish a School Emergency Action Plan to address the shortcomings in Highland’s school estate,
• task the Leader of the Council to write to The First Minister, the Cabinet Minister for Social Justice, and the Cabinet Secretary for Education, outlining the urgent need for additional resources to address the disparity between Highland school estate and the rest of Scotland,
• task the Leader of the Council to invite the Cabinet Secretary for Education to attend the next Full Council Committee and answer questions from Members regarding the funding shortfall.
