Scottish Government fails to provide new school building project details

Local authorities had been told to expect details or timelines for the next phase of the government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme before Christmas.

However, in a Written Answer on the final day of the parliamentary term, education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville failed to provide any criteria or specifications for the strategy, confirming only that the plans will be set out over “the next 12 months”.

The SNP’s Joe FitzPatrick had asked the Scottish Government when it plans to announce the next phase of the Learning Estate Investment Programme.

To which Ms Somerville replied: “The Learning Estate Investment Programme has made significant progress since the first projects were announced in September 2019, with projects in construction and in development representing a £1.2bn investment in the learning estate.

“The Scottish Government intend to announce the projects that will form part of Phase 3 of the programme within the next 12 months. We will write to local authorities seeking investment proposals in 2022 and in the meantime we will work with local government to agree the development programme timeline.”

Scottish Labour’s education spokesperson Michael Marra MSP said the announcement could leave new building projects in jeopardy.

“This pitiful update fails to deliver an ounce of clarity on the SNP’s plans for essential upgrades to our schools,” he added.

“Many councils have project proposals ready to go, and with this delay it puts them in jeopardy.

“The school estate is vital to curriculum delivery and learning, but too many of our schools have been left to crumble.

“The past two years have shown that much of our estate is not conducive to health and well-being – not least the ongoing failures on ventilation.

“These projects are badly needed, but yet again we have our do-nothing education secretary doing nothing.”