Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Fiona Hyslop MSP, has clarified how Scottish Government intends to prioritise schools to be included in the first tranche of announcement for new schools buildings, to be made, in the case of secondary schools, next month.In a letter I received yesterday, responding to my request for clarification as to the criteria Scottish Government intends using in prioritising further capital funding, the Cabinet Secretary said,
"Decisions will be taken on the basis of the best data information and intelligence available about the scale, nature and distribution of needs across Scotland. This includes the school estate Core Facts data, already submitted by authorities three times since 2004; a similar succession of school estate management plans; and information from bilateral discussions with, visits to, and representations from authorities, all of which have helped build up a national picture of where the scale and urgency of the need for replacement schools are greatest."
I wrote to Scottish Government to seek assurances that local authorities will have genuine input into the selection process so that we in Dundee can make the case for investment in our city's schools.
Given that the identification of the schools to get capital funding is going to rest with Scottish Government, unlike PPP schemes where individual local authorities made decisions as to which projects to take forward given their local knowledge about the state of their school estate, I think it is vitally important that the views of local authorities are sought and have clear influence over the schools chosen for improvement.
I am pleased that the Cabinet Secretary has given the assurance of bilateral discussions, with visits to and representations from, local councils. I am anxious that the case for capital funding for improvements of the Harris Academy building is made with Scottish Government and I made the point to Scottish Government that I want to see Harris Academy benefiting.
Within Dundee's secondary school sector, Harris Academy's building is recognised as being in considerable need of improvement and must be a key priority for the City Council. Local councils must have input into this process of determining where any new capital funding is allocated to provide the local dimension on any decisions.