Charges criticism
Parents in Perth and Kinross are facing a postcode lottery when it comes to paying extra charges for practical subjects at school.
A number of the region’s secondary schools are charging their pupils for undertaking practical subjects such as home economics, art and design, design and technology, design and manufacture, and practical craft skills.
And – according to data obtained by factchecking website The Ferret – the highest charge in the whole of Scotland is at Crieff High School, which asked parents for £125 a year for national five hospitality, and £75 for national five cake decorating for the academic year 2019/2020.
The school has been charging £125 for national five home economics subjects since at least 2015/16.
Crieff High School also charges £12 for S2, £55 for S3 and £50 for S3 pupils to undertake home economics classes.
In contrast, parents sending their children to Kinross High School or Bertha Park in Perth are not asked to pay anything towards practical subjects.
All the other schools in the region have charges ranging from £2.50 for some subjects to £60 for others.
Blairgowrie High School charges between £30 and £40 for home economics, £5 for design and technology and design and manufacture, and up to £10 for craft skills.
Previously, Blairgowrie High School also charged some pupils for art classes, but the charges were dropped for this academic year.
At Breadalbane Academy, charges for home economics were £ 25, £ 5 for some design and technology, and £10 for some design and manufacture.
The charge for S3 to study design and manufacture at Breadalbane only came into place this year.
At the Community School of Auchterarder, home economics charges were between £5 and £40 a year, £5 for all levels of art, and £5 for some design and technology, design and manufacture, and craft skills classes.
At Perth Academy, home economics charges ranged from £22 to £55, and up to £10 for design and technology.
Charges for practical subjects at Perth Grammar School were only introduced this year.
In home economics there is now a charge of between £27 and £60, along with charges of up to £5 for some design and manufacturing pupils, and up to £10 for some craft skills pupils.
At Perth High School, home economics charges ranged from £5 to £40.
Perth High School had not decided on a price for higher home economics at the time of this data - previously the charge had been £30 a year.
The Fair City high school also charges £2.50 for S1 and S2 art and technology, £5 for some manufacturing classes, and £10 for some woodwork classes.
Pitlochry High School charged up to £45 for home economics, along with up to £25 for practical craft skills.
Mid Scotland and Fife Labour MSP Claire Baker said: “Access to subjects across the curriculum must be open to all students, regardless of their ability to afford to pay additional costs for certain courses.
“These charges reflect the situation of under-funding in our schools.
“They clearly underline the need for the Scottish Government to act to increase the funding settlement for local authorities and deliver a fair funding deal.”
A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council said: “We do not have a council policy on charging for practical subjects in secondary schools, that is up to each individual school to determine, based on the needs of their children and young people and the curriculum they offer.
“We have an ambition to reduce or remove costs of core practical subjects as part of the extensive work we are doing on the cost of the school day, and all Perth and Kinross secondary schools are working with their school communities to achieve this.
“Currently, the home economics department at Crieff High School is reviewing their curriculum offer with a view to planning towards reducing the costs, and zero cost for those experiencing societal barriers to learning.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said the figures were unacceptable: “All children should expect to be able to access all subjects - it is not acceptable for schools to ask pupils to pay for a core part of their curriculum.
“Councils have a legal responsibility for providing an adequate and efficient education, suitable to the needs of every child.”