Good and satisfactory school buildings at record number – Education Secretary

The number of school buildings in a “good” or “satisfactory” condition has reached a record number, Scotland’s Education Secretary has said.

But around one in 10 are still ranked as “poor” or “bad”, according to new statistics.

Some 90.4% of schools were in a “good” or “satisfactory” condition in April 2022, according to this year’s School Estates Statistics, released on Tuesday, with 91.7% of students being taught in schools with this ranking.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said there are now a “record number of schools in good or satisfactory condition”.

According to the statistics, there were 713 inspected schools rated “good” and 1,526 rated “satisfactory”, making up 90.4% of institutions in Scotland.

In 2016, 84% were ranked in these categories.

Inspectors rated 232 buildings as “poor” in 2022, a fall from 241 the year before, while two were rated “bad”, a rise from one the year before.

Together, the figures represent 8.3% of pupils and 9.4% of schools, a drop from 9.8% the year before and 16% in 2016 respectively.

Four schools – or 0.4% – were not inspected, according to the report.

Ms Somerville said: “These latest statistics illustrate how our investment is making a real difference to thousands of children and young people, with a record 281,070 children now being educated in good condition schools.”

But Pam Gosal, Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman, said it was “unacceptable that almost 60,000 Scottish pupils are still being taught in sub-standard school buildings every day”.

“The next generation have already endured more than two years of disruption to their education,” she said.

“The least these pupils – and their teachers – deserve now that they’re back in the classroom is buildings that are fit for purpose.”

Figures have also shown the number of children receiving free school meals has climbed to 215,053, which Ms Somerville described as “encouraging”.

Willie Rennie, the Scottish Lib Dems Education spokesman said: “Scotland’s schools are crumbling, with almost one in 10 pupils learning in schools which are in poor or bad condition.

“The SNP have allowed our places of learning to be run down over the last decade.

“These buildings need more than lick of paint.

“The Scottish Government need to get serious tackling the maintenance backlog and making sure that every classroom in every corner of Scotland is a fit location for learning to take place.