CRAIG Hoy, a Conservative MSP for South Scotland, has written to Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Education, Jenny Gilruth MSP, regarding the recent closure of 23 classrooms at Preston Lodge High School in East Lothian.
The classrooms have been closed for a number of weeks due to the discovery of unsafe Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and they will not be re-opened by next term. This means that the school is required to drastically change the way education will be provided for S1 pupils in the coming term and pupils will be temporarily taught in ‘home rooms’ settings – including community buildings and their existing primary schools.
Craig Hoy MSP wrote to Ms Gilruth: “I have been contacted by a number of concerned parents about these changes and the potential impact it could have on their children. While I have confidence in the teaching staff of Preston Lodge to deliver high quality education to all pupils in the term following the summer break, these changes will prove difficult for all involved.
“These measures will also cause considerable strain on the staff and financial resources of the school. Therefore, I wonder whether the Scottish Government is able to provide additional financial and staffing resources to support the school in the coming months?”
Craig Hoy has also called on the Scottish Government to open a scheme to assist schools and local authorities to deal with issues caused by RAAC and to use Preston Lodge as a pilot to secure the long-term future of the school.
The South Scotland MSP commented: “It is essential that the Scottish Government prioritises making sure that students receive the best possible learning environment at Preston Lodge School, and that teachers are able to teach pupils with minimal disruption due issues at the school building which have rendered it unsafe.”
