Almost 1400 Highland pupils are going to schools containing dangerous concrete
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Almost 1400 pupils in the Highlands are going to schools that contain dangerous concrete that is prone to sudden collapse in what is a nationwide scandal dating back to the 1960s and 1970s.
The Liberal Democrat candidate for the newly redrawn constituency of Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire Angus MacDonald has lambasted the Scottish Government on why funding is still not available.
He revealed that 1398 pupils in the Highland Council area are being educated in two schools – Charleston and Nairn Academies – that contain the collapse-prone reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
The Liberal Democrats are calling on First Minister Humza Yousaf to set up a fund to support the removal of RAAC from public buildings as dozens of examples were also found in various parts of NHS Highland buildings.
Mr MacDonald said: “This new Scottish Liberal Democrat analysis shows that as many as 1398 pupils attend schools across Highland that are now grappling with potentially deadly concrete.
“With new evidence suggesting that walls and panels previously deemed safe have still been found to collapse, the Scottish Government must urgently devise a proper plan of action and resolve this issue for good.
“It baffles me that the government can say it was aware of the problem, and yet no money has been set aside to deal with it.
"This makes last week's decision to cut Charleston's maintenance budget by the Highland Council even more concerning than it already was. Parents will be rightfully concerned how this will be fixed.
“Parents across Highland need to be able to send their children to school confident of their safety. That’s why I want to see the Education Secretary meeting with education leaders in Highland to discuss a rescue plan and funding for remedial work which should begin immediately.”
