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Dozens of safety incidents reported at crumbling schools across Scotland

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Collapsed ceilings, leaking roofs and falling fences have been recorded among 19 safety failings at north and north-east schools in the last two years.

The incidents were revealed following research by the Scottish Conservatives in the wake of the tragic death of Keane Wallis-Bennett in 2014.

The 12-year-old was killed when a wall collapsed at Liberton High in Edinburgh.

A total of 143 safety issues were reported across Scotland, including 10 by Highland Council.

Collapsed ceilings were recorded at Culloden Academy, Craighill Primary in Tain and Coulhill Primary in Alness, while falling fences were noted at Bridgend Primary in Alness, Golspie Primary and Avoch Primary.

The entry for Golspie said: “Urgent: The fence in the P1 play areas is about to collapse. Two lumps of concrete are coming out the ground and staff worried they will come away and hurt someone.”


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In Inverness, ground collapsed at a “hidden manhole” at Muirtown Primary, while at Cauldeen Primary a gym hall wall divider had to be taken away because a bolt sheared and there was a risk of collapse.

Aberdeen City Council reported eight incidents in the last two years, including a plinth falling from a wall and striking a staff member, a gate falling towards a pupil, weights landing on a teacher’s finger during a science experiment and a curtain rail hitting a pupil on the head.

Earlier this year, render on wall collapsed and landed on pupil in an Aberdeen school, a low wall collapsed and caused a pupil to fall and graze a leg, and a clock fell off its hook and struck a teacher.

The one incident reported by Aberdeenshire Council was at the swimming pool in St Andrews School in Inverurie, when a door frame came loose from the wall as member of staff opened the door.

Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Liz Smith said: “Each one of these incidents represents a risky situation that children or staff have been put in while at school.

“It is extremely fortunate that more children or staff haven’t been hurt.

“The SNP must ensure that schools are properly built and maintained.”

The data was obtained using freedom of information requests, and the Scottish Conservatives found that only 18 of the 32 councils collected such statistics.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The health and safety of all pupils while at school in Scotland is of paramount importance to us.

“All local authorities have a statutory responsibility to manage and maintain the school estate and provide a safe environment for young people and staff.”