Record number of pupils in “good or satisfactory” schools

Investment drives major improvement

A record number of pupils in Scotland are being taught in schools in “good or satisfactory” condition, official figures show.

The 2024 School Estate Statistics show that a record 91.7% of school buildings, with a total of 647,773 pupils, are in a good or satisfactory condition.

This is an increase of 29 percentage points since April 2007. Since then, 1,139 school building projects have been completed.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “This government is determined to deliver high quality learning environments for all pupils in Scotland – and a key part of that is delivering a world-class school estate.

“Positive school environments play a huge role in the education of Scotland’s young people and our investment is paying dividends, with a record high number of schools being in good or satisfactory condition.

“The Scottish Government is continuing its investment in the school estate through the £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme. As set out in our Programme for Government, construction will begin on a further eight school building projects over the next year.

“This means that by the end of 2027-28, Scotland will have seen 47 modern, state-of-the-art school buildings open, thanks to our investment.”

School estate statistics 2024 – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)