Glenrothes children are being badly let down as the Scottish Government “dithers” over new secondary school funding, it has been claimed.
Fife Council said in 2016 a replacement for the ageing Glenrothes and Glenwood high schools was a priority.
Both schools were built in the 1960s and are said to be in dire need of an upgrade.
And the plan is to merge the two into a single new building with around 1,600 pupils.
However, a Scottish Government funding announcement has been delayed several times.
And councillors say it means families, as well as the council, are in limbo.
Conservative group leader Kathleen Leslie, who chairs Fife’s education scrutiny committee, said: “It’s just one delay after another.
“I feel our young people are being badly let down by having to access their education in old buildings whilst their peers have access to state-of-the-art facilities at other schools.”
Other new schools opening across Fife
Glenrothes has three secondary schools and a replacement Auchmuty High opened in 2013.
Other new schools have also opened across the region.
And plans are progressing for replacement schools in Inverkeithing and Dunfermline.
That leaves just the two in Glenrothes, and Balwearie High in Kirkcaldy, in need of upgrade.
Ms Leslie is frustrated and said: “Given the oft repeated line by the SNP Government about education being the number one priority, why then are they not making the upgrading of our learning estate in Fife a priority?
“What is causing the hold up with this?”
‘Too much dithering’ about Glenrothes schools funding
The delayed announcement relates to the third phase of the Scottish Government’s £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme.
Ministers said in December 2021 that successful projects would be revealed within 12 months.
However, it has since been put back twice and says it will make an announcement as soon as possible.
Glenrothes Labour councillor Altany Craik shares Ms Leslie’s concerns.
He said: “It’s seems to be dragging on forever. It’s like snail racing.
“The Glenrothes schools need improved but there’s too much dithering.
“Kids do better in a new school and it’s my desire to see a new school built in Glenrothes.
“We just need a decision because if we’re not getting funding, we need to redo the capital plan to get the existing two up to a standard we’re happy with.”
Announcement to be made ‘as soon as possible’
The Scottish Government said it needed further time to decide on new funding.
This is due to market volatility pushing up the price of projects that are already under way.
And time is needed to ascertain the impact of that.
A spokesperson said: “Scottish Government officials wrote to all local authorities in March to explain that consideration of the projects that would form part of phase three was still ongoing.
“We are currently giving careful consideration to local authorities’ bids for phase three of the Learning Estate Investment Programme and intend to announce the successful bids as soon as possible.”
The spokesperson said the number of Scottish schools in good or satisfactory condition had increased from 61% to 90.4% since 2007.
And this means 77% fewer pupils being educated in substandard conditions.
Conversation