A NEW Mearns Academy may have moved a step closer this week, with the announcement by the Scottish Government of its plans for extensive new investment in Scotland's schools through the Scottish Futures Trust.
Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop outlined plans to invest in Scotland's schools, in order to further reduce the number of pupils in unsuitable school accommodation.
The Scottish Government will provide around two thirds of the funding for new se
condary schools and half of the funding for new primary schools, making new school construction projects far more affordable for Local Authorities and delivering around 55 additional new schools.
The bulk of the new funding will pay for the construction costs of the secondary schools. Local authorities will require to meet the remaining third of the cost. The remainder of the Government funding will support the building of the primary schools on a 50/50 basis with local authorities.
The initial tranches of authorities to benefit will be announced this year, with the balance in 2011. Funding will come on stream next financial year for primary schools and the following for secondaries.
All the primary schools will be built by 2014/15 and the secondaries by 2017/18.
The Scottish Government has built up a detailed national picture of needs across Scotland, largely drawn from school estate data. This will be the basis for discussions with COSLA to identify which authorities on a needs basis will benefit first from this new school building programme.
North-East Scotland MSP Maureen Watt said: "I am delighted at the progress that the Scottish Government has made on delivering even more new schools for people across the country through the Scottish Future's Trust.
"The previous administration promised to renew 100 schools between 2006 and 2009, but the SNP Government has already exceeded this target, with 150 school rebuilding or refurbishment projects completed to date, and over 250 will have been delivered by 2011. This new investment will go even further, funding around 55 brand new schools, thereby providing state of the art facilities for an additional 35,000 pupils across Scotland.
"Fiona Hyslop has stated that schools in the most need will be targeted for replacement and as such I strongly encourage Aberdeenshire Council to engage fully with the Scottish Government and COSLA to ensure that pupils here benefit from this new funding. This is a real opportunity to make a lasting change in the state of Aberdeenshire's school estate and I hope that they will grasp it with both hands.
"When the SNP came to office in 2007 there were 260,000 pupils in poor classroom accommodation. That figure should be down to around 100,000 by 2011 thanks to measures that have already been taken and will drop by a further third to 65,000 thanks to this latest announcement. Working with COSLA and Local Authorities, the SNP Government is continuing to deliver real improvements for people in the North East."
West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine MSP Mike Rumbles was less enthusiastic, claiming that the school building programme will allow for only two and a half new secondary schools to be built each year in Scotland over the next nine years.
A total of £800 million is to be made available for school building in Scotland over the next nine years. Mr Rumbles says however, that with one secondary school costing in excess of £40 million, this will allow for just two and a half new secondary schools to be built across the country each year – with the first not due to be completed until 2013 and six new academies are needed in Aberdeenshire alone.
Mr Rumbles said: "While I am pleased that now that the SNP are into their third year in government they have finally announced funding for new schools, it is clear that the sums they are talking about are woefully inadequate.
"The £800 million over nine years announced today amounts to two and a half secondary schools every year – across Scotland. Aberdeenshire Council alone desperately needs funding for six new secondary schools.
"It was encouraging that the cabinet Secretary indicated that she believed that Aberdeenshire could be included in the first tranche of funding, but it is clear that this funding is insufficient. Our children only have their education once. This SNP government is letting them down by failing to invest adequately in our school estate."
Mearns Councillor George Carr described himself as "cautiously optimistic" following the government announcement.
"There is not much detail available at present, but this will possibly enable us to deliver a new Mearns Academy.
"This scheme is to be based on need, so Aberdeenshire ticks all the right boxes witch schools in dire need of replacement.
"This is the best news the Mearns has had for some time, as there is no way Aberdeenshire Council could have afforded a new Mearns Academy on its own.
"The Government will fund two-thirds of secondary schools and the local authorities one third.
"Mearns needs replaced along with Alford and Kemnay, but you can take it Mearns Academy will be top or nearly top of any list.
"We are ready to go with Mearns Academy. The plans are well advanced and all we need is the money.
"If the money comes through I believe it should be possible to start in 2011. The news is very positive and the best there has been since I was elected."
Councillor Carr is to raise the question of whether the extensive and costly rewiring of Mearns Academy, set for this summer, should now go ahead, or whether the money would be better spent on a new school.
"I would question whether this money should be spent on a school which is not fit for purpose," he added.
