Photos leaked to The Courier of student toilet facilities at Perth Grammar School don’t paint a pretty picture.
Brown radiator water sloshed across the floor, peeling paintwork, a fist-size hole in the wall – plus an alleged sighting of a rat – suggest some areas of the building might not be getting the full attention they need.
But perhaps the most shocking thing about those images was that, to a lot of people, they just weren’t that shocking.
There were plenty calls for an emergency clear-up from readers on social media, but there were also many who commented how school bathrooms in their day were in a similar state – if not worse.
It’s as if we’ve grown so accustomed to the idea of shoddy conditions inside school buildings that, unless there’s a pressing health and safety hazard, we barely bat an eyelid.
After viewing the photos, Perth and Kinross Council – who strongly denied any reports of rats at Perth Grammar – arranged for the area to be deep cleaned and the radiator to be repaired.
Did it really take for someone to report the issue to their local newspaper, before any action was taken?
A similar situation happened last year, during talks about the closure of Balhouse Primary.
Ahead of a meeting to decide the school’s future, independent councillor Xander McDade went for a tour of the building. He was shocked by what he found.
“There was a strong smell of damp, there were windows which wouldn’t close, there seemed to be a lot of dry rot,” he said. “Quite frankly, I would never send children to it.”
Not being suitable for children would be a fundamental flaw for any school, you might think.
So why are our schools allowed to slump into this state?
Clearly, staff continue to battle a lack of available funding and resources. But surely some simple safeguards could be put in place to prevent deteriorating conditions and raise any red flags.
The council’s ongoing review of its school estate hasn’t exactly gone smoothly, but its ultimate aim of ensuring all pupils get a fit-for-purpose place to learn is commendable.
As those who fought to save Pitlochry High pointed out during their campaign, this transformation process should be viewed – not as doomsday for our historic school buildings – but as an opportunity to make some positive change.
