By Steve Bargeton, political editor

ALMOST ONE in three Scottish schoolchildren is being taught in a school that either should be demolished or has major defects.

Statistics on the condition of the school estate published by the Scottish Government yesterday reveal that 26% of the country’s schools are rated as being in “poor” condition—and a further 5% are described as being in “bad” condition.

The figures show that more than 175,000 pupils are studying in schools in poor condition, and nearly 26,000 more were in schools that were in bad condition.

A school in “poor” condition is defined as having major defects while a school in “bad” condition has passed the end of its economic lifespan.

In Scotland just 15% of schools were given a “good” rating, while 53% were rated as “satisfactory.”

Of the country’s 2167 primary schools, 5% were classed as being in bad condition along with 3% of the 377 secondary schools.

In Dundee two secondary schools were classified as good, six satisfactory, three poor and none rated bad.

There is one good primary school, 27 satisfactory, 10 poor and no bad.

In Fife three secondaries were classed as good, 10 satisfactory and six poor. There were 15 good primary schools, 109 satisfactory and 18 poor. No schools were rated bad.

In Angus there was one good secondary school, five satisfactory and two poor. There were 18 good primaries, 30 satisfactory and seven poor. There were no bad ratings.

In Perth and Kinross six secondary schools were rated satisfactory and in four cases the condition was not rated. Twenty primary schools were classed as good, 46 satisfactory, five poor and five were not recorded. There were no schools in bad condition.

Education secretary Fiona Hyslop reiterated the Scottish Government’s commitment to lifting 100,000 pupils out of crumbling school buildings by 2011.

Noting that 115 school building projects were completed in the last financial year, she said, “I am delighted that 35,000 more children across Scotland are getting their lessons in modern classrooms.

“Currently there is more than £2 billion of committed investment in Scotland’s schools.

“Since May last year, this government has signed off funding for seven major local authority projects, with a further four projects in the pipeline, which will take the total to over 50 schools.

“In total we expect 250 schools to be built, funded or under construction during the life of this parliament.”

The Scottish Tories’ schools spokeswoman, Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Liz Smith, said, “We welcome the progress that has been made, particularly the fact that 35,000 pupils in Scotland are benefiting from better classrooms.

“However, there is still a long way to go. Today’s stat- istics show that nearly one third of our schools are not in an acceptable state and addressing that issue must be a priority for government.

“The school estate should be fit for purpose in the 21st century and that means ensuring they provide attractive and environmentally sustainable campuses and that there is proper provision for new sports halls and playing fields —something that has been too often neglected in the past,” she added.

Commenting on the situation in Fife, Mid Scotland and Fife Labour MSP Claire Baker said, “These statistics make worrying reading for parents, pupils and teachers across Fife.

“The SNP Fife Council are over £100 million short of what—even on its own estimates—it says it needs to replace or refurbish schools.

“They’ve ruled out private finance, and their Scottish Futures Trust is going nowhere, so where will these funds come from?

“The delay and confusion over the Scottish Futures Trust policy caused many local authorities to postpone new building contracts.

“The SNP are deceiving the people of Fife by pledging new schools in Fife without identifying where the funds will come from to build them.

“There are 24 schools identified in Fife as being in poor condition by this report.

“Fife Council and the Scottish Government must act now to identify funds to refurbish or replace poor school buildings in Fife.”