‘If the confidence of the public and school communities is to be restored this fiasco must be carefully examined’ – Cllr Melanie Main
Green city councillors have criticised an update report on the ongoing school closures and are warning Edinburgh’s Labour/SNP administration that there must be transparency as an inquiry into last month’s PPP1 school closures is announced. Continue reading PPP school closures: There must be transparency, Greens warn
School closure offers unexpected opportunities
Last month’s closure of 17 PPP1 schools caused much anxiety – for council officers, for school staff and particularly for families and for children. And while the saga rumbles on, many local parents and carers still don’t know when their child will return to his or her own school. Continue reading A time to make new friends
Council confirms local schools will be closed for months
Parents and carers worst fears were realised with the announcement this afternoon that local primary schools Craigroyston, Forthview, Pirniehall and St Davids are to remain closed until after the summer holidays. Rowanfield, too, will stay shut until August. Continue reading Local schools to stay closed until after summer holidays
All 7,600 primary and secondary pupils affected by school closures now have alternative education plans put in place for next week. The final pieces of a very complicated jigsaw puzzle were slotted in this afternoon. Continue reading School places for all: Mission Accomplished!
Practical exams due to be held this week have been postponed due to the ongoing Edinburgh PPP1 schools closures. Continue reading Closed High Schools: Practical exams postponed
Dear Editor,
Given the recent incidents with Schools in Edinburgh that have been closed down due to the substandard quality offered by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership, I would like to see local Labour candidate for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections, and current Edinburgh Councillor Lesley Hinds explain why this situation arrived.
Considering PPP ( public-private partnership) was part of the Labour party’s policy for a long period time, and while this was introduced when labour run Edinburgh council, the Scottish Executive and Westminster Goverment, I would be interested to hear what the Councillor would have to say on this matter.
Alba Reilly (by email)
CRAIGIE goes to CRAIGIE: Craigroyston Primary pupils will temporarily relocate to Craigroyston Community High School Continue reading Schools latest: Solution for Craigroyston
Edinburgh schools closures: now it’s the blame game
News of the extended closure of 17 Edinburgh buildings built under the controversial Public Private Partnership arrangements has reopened the debate on using private finance schemes to fund public projects. And, with an election looming, the PPP issue is a heaven-sent for political parties: an unmissable opportunity to play the blame game, finger-pointing and point scoring.
The strictly non-partisan Cockburn Association, Edinburgh’s civic trust, has previously expressed disquiet over the quality and design of PPP schools. The Cockburn Association wrote to councillors regarding school provision and building quality back in January 2012:
“… we would encourage the Planning Department to work with their colleagues in Education to realize a better outcome both for the quality of teaching space and design of the buildings following a proper appraisal of the capacity for the physical expansion of existing primary schools.
“Perhaps a new primary school built in the north of Edinburgh on the proposed budget of £2200 per sq m would be a far more wise option? The City has a fine history of school building by the Edinburgh School Board from 1870 and their quality is a standard we should return to in the 21st century.”
Teachers’ trade union the EIS is calling for an urgent review of all PPP/PFI deals in light of the schools closures.
General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The EIS welcomes that the safety of pupils and staff is being treated as a priority, while recognising that these short-notice closures will be highly inconvenient for pupils and parents.
“However, we must also question how such significant defaults could escape normal building control scrutiny and we believe it is now necessary for an urgent review of all PPP/PFI contracts, including the terms of the private maintenance contracts which are often both expensive and extremely restrictive.”
With the 5 May Holyrood elections just around the corner, opponents of both Conservatives (who introduced PPP) and Labour (who adopted it) have wasted little time in apportioning blame for the ‘fiasco’. Who would have thought that the PPP debate would raise it’s head again and become an election battleground?
Over the weekend both the Greens and RISE damned their political opponents and today it’s the turn of the SNP to fire a broadside – and the Lib Dems are in their sights, too.
The SNP candidate in Edinburgh Western Tony Giugliano said: ” “This is a critical time for many pupils, as they enter exam period, and everything must be done to minimise disruption and find alternative safe studying environments. I would also encourage Edinburgh Council to do more to support parents with childcare arrangements.
“It’s clear that we need an immediate inquiry into the construction and safety of these schools. We know that the previous Lib Dem – Labour government at Holyrood bullied councils into rolling out PFI – and the result is exactly what we all feared: unsafe, substandard schools.
“PFI has been a disaster for the city of Edinburgh, with taxpayers contributing £40 million each year in repayments for buildings that are crumbling after only 10 years. Not to mention the debt legacy that the construction of PFI hospitals has had on the NHS. It’s utterly unacceptable and parents and pupils deserve better.
“Edinburgh taxpayers can no longer afford to keep paying for substandard buildings and the City Council should re-consider the future of these contracts.”
Meanwhile, efforts by council officials to resolve the problems go on. City council chief exective Andrew Kerr assured anxious parents: ““Officers are continuing to work on contingency arrangements and we will provide regular updates to parents and carers as and when further information becomes available.”
Parents, however, are growing increasingly angry. Thousands of familes are affected by the school closures and they want answers – now.
We’ll keep you posted.
“Public confidence needs rebuilt as well as school walls: and fast” – Green Candidate Andy Wightman
The Scottish Government’s resiliency committee has met to discuss the emergency closure of seventeen PPP schools across Edinburgh – but The Scottish Greens say the ‘fiasco’ highlights the need to expose private finance failures. Continue reading Closed schools update: Scottish government offers ‘full support’
Parents advised to make childcare arrangements for next week
Craigroyston, Forthview, Pirniehall and St David’s Primary Schools are among seventeen city schools which will all remain closed on Monday, the city council has announced. Continue reading Local schools to remain closed on Monday
