Drive to do more with our schools
Perth and Kinross Council is looking at how its schools could be used more by the wider community.
The local authority oversees 70 primary schools, 11 secondary schools, one standalone nursery and one additional support needs school.
A lifelong learning committee meeting on November 3 scrutinised the council’s learning estate strategy and the related management plan.
It was suggested an increased use of facilities could both benefit communities and bolster the council’s income.
The strategy described PKC’s educational establishments as a “significant asset” and set out a desire for them to “serve the wider community, and where appropriate, be integrated with the delivery of other public services in line with the place principle.”
Liberal Democrat Strathmore councillor Lewis Simpson suggested facilities could be let out to “sweat our assets”.
He said: “There are a range of things we could be using our schools for – be it summer schools, birthday parties, Bar Mitzvahs, Diwali celebrations. There are all manner of things that could be going on.
“There is sometimes a feeling in the community the school’s for the school and not for their use.”
PKC’s executive director of education and children’s services, Sheena Devlin, told the committee: “We do currently
use a range of schools in a whole load of different ways outside of learning time – at weekends, in the evenings and over holiday periods.”
But she explained this had been “very restricted” over the past 18 months because of the pandemic and its associated restrictions.
Ms Devlin added: “We have had birthdays, weddings and a whole load of celebrations happen in a range of these buildings and they are available for that use and as soon as restrictions permit then we will see all of that happening again.”
She explained it was not just a case of opening the doors, but having the facility
management in place to do this which incurs a cost.
The education chief said not every school building could be available at all times but drew the committee’s attention to PKC’s recently-published 30- year investment blueprint, which looks at how the council can better use its facilities.
Moving the paper for approval, Conservative Highland ward councillor John Duff said: “As members will be aware, our learning estate represents approximately 80 per cent of the council’s entire property assets and we will invest a further £160m of capital in this area over the next few years.”
Cllr Duff said the new learning estate strategy would “provide a framework by which we can deliver schools which enhance the learning experience and make a difference to our communities.”
Conservative Blairgowrie and Glens councillor Caroline Shiers seconded and welcomed a move to schools “being at the heart of our communities” and “not just places to teach our children and young people but community facilities.”
She added: “This is especially important in our rural communities.”
The approved learning estate strategy and management plan are to be revised every three years.