By Bruce Robbins

A FORMER Harris Academy board chairman last night said he could not believe the “hypocrisy” of Labour councillors who are claiming they have long campaigned for an upgrade to the school.

Graeme Fraser, who was chairman from 2001 to 2005, said his recollection of the then Labour administration’s attitude was they had “no sympathy at all” for the Harris—forcing the school board and parents to fight for everything they got.

The council’s SNP administration has been told that the Scottish Government is prepared to fund two-thirds of the estimated £18 million cost of refurbishing the Perth Road school.

Council leader Ken Guild said council officers are looking at the impact that a £6 million commitment to the project by the local authority could have on other expenditure across the city.

It looks likely, however, that the review of capital spending will result in the Harris getting the major improvements it needs.

Labour’s former education convener Laurie Bidwell responded to the SNP’s plans by saying an upgrade is something his group had been after for years.

Mr Fraser—whose children attended the Harris—said there was no doubt improvements were desperately needed and he made regular representations to the council as school board chairman for an upgrade in annual meetings with the education director and convener.

However, far from being supportive, Mr Fraser claimed it was clear there was no enthusiasm for improvements to the school.

He said, “I recall quite clearly going to one meeting at the city chambers and bringing up the subject of a possible upgrade and my interpretation is that they were just laughing amongst themselves.

“I was dismissed with a ‘no, no, no’ attitude.

“The Harris used to be on a par results-wise with Grove Academy but has been left behind now and I think a lot of that is to do with the treatment meted out to the Harris by the old Labour administration and the education department.

“The enduring recollection I have of my time as school board chairman is that Harris Academy had to fight for everything it got and was never looked upon with any sympathy by the Labour administration.

“Other schools were getting huge amounts of money spent on them but the Harris still had to make do with inadequate facilities.

“I’m glad to see the SNP are going to achieve something but I couldn’t believe the hypocrisy of the Labour group when they tried to pretend it’s what they have always wanted.”

Mr Guild said his administration has pledged to prioritise the redevelopment of the Harris when applying for the government funding through the Scottish Futures Trust process.

He said it is “very unlikely” that other capital projects planned for the city—such as the new Dundee House or Olympia Leisure Centre—will be affected.

But more precise details of the financial impact of the redevelopment will only be known after an initial meeting with Scottish Futures Trust officials, planned for next month, has gone ahead.

He said, “That is something we will have to deal with in the budget procedure which is starting now. It is difficult to say exactly what the situation will be until we know precisely how much we have to spend.”

Mr Guild also launched an attack on local Labour Party councillors for their “negativity” towards the project.

He said, “There are only 14 schools out of several hundred in Scotland that have received this money and it is a major achievement to get it.

“I am baffled by their negative attitude. When they are not falsely taking the credit for securing the funding they have been acting like it is somehow a bad thing for Dundee that we have been awarded the money.”