One third of all pupils in new or refurbished buildings

There's a rather annoying story in one of our local papers today - here. It doesn't come under the headline I've used above, but instead "Crumbling state of schools is failing children".

The story, quite factually it has to be said, mentions several Edinburgh schools that need some attention to their building-fabric - Portobello High School, James Gillespies High School, Boroughmuir High School, St. John's Primary School, and St. Crispins Special School.

These 5 schools were all identified to be part of a 'third-round' of school building programme ... all of which is uncertain now, due to the change of local and national administrations back in May. Fair enough ... that's politics.

Very annoyingly, what the article completely fails to mention is that once the current 'second-round' of school building programme is finished in Edinburgh (early 2010 - just a few years away now), then taken together with other schools newly built or refurbished since 2002 - one third of the pupils attending Edinburgh's schools will be learning in buildings either new or completely refurbished.

That's right - one third of all Edinburgh's pupils will be learning in new or completely refurbished buildings by early 2010. Obviously, far too positive a story to be reported as it just wouldn't sell newspapers :-((

I don't have to sell the Really Bad Blog - so here's the complete list of new, and refurbished, schools in Edinburgh:

New Build Schools - completed

Braidburn Special School
Rowanfield Special School
Oaklands Special School
Oxgangs Primary School
St Peter’s Primary School
Forthview Primary School
Castleview Primary School
Craigour Park Primary School
Craigroyston Primary School
Broomhouse Primary School
St Joseph’s RC Primary School
Pirniehall Primary School
St David’s RC Primary School
Gracemount High School
Craigmount High School
St Thomas of Aquins High School

Refurbished Schools - completed

The Royal High School
Firrhill High School
Drummond Community High School

New Build Schools - ongoing

Cairnpark & Canonmills SEBD School
New MLD Primary & Secondary – Kingsinch/St Nicholas
Bonaly Primary School
Juniper Green Primary School
Niddrie Mill Primary School
St Francis Primary School
Broughton High School
Forrester High School
Holy Rood High School
St. Augustine's High School
Tynecastle High School
Craigroyston Community High School

Refurbished Schools - ongoing

Canal View Primary School
Pentland Primary School
Curries Primary School

Now surely, if all that can be done between 2002 and 2010, it won't be beyond the wit of the new local and national administrations to renew the 5 schools earlier identified as now in most need of attention??

I won't be holding my breath.