An additional £330m in funding has been set aside for investment in schools in Scotland.

It brings the total investment for the programme between the Scottish Government and the local councils to £1.8bn, Finance Secretary John Swinney confirmed.

Announcing the expansion of Scotland's Schools for the Future programme, Learning Minister Alasdair Allan said the first 13 local authorities to receive funding would allow them to either rebuild or refurbish some of the poorest condition schools in their area.

Dr Allan explained: "The Scottish Government places a huge emphasis on high quality learning and is committed to delivering high quality, well designed, sustainable schools through the Scotland's Schools for the Future programme. The additional funding is testament to this aim.


"We originally aimed to build or refurbish 55 schools across Scotland and we have already exceeded this by funding 67 projects. This extra funding will now allow us to almost double our original target.

"The new facilities being built are fantastic environments for our young people to learn in and often provide amenities for the wider community that will be enjoyed by generations to come.

"The projects are also a welcome boost to the local economy, creating apprenticeship opportunities for young people and construction jobs across the country."

Since the launch of Scotland's Schools for the Future programme in 2009, each local authority has received funds to improve their school estate. Currently, 17 new schools have already opened with 50 more due to open by March 2018.

(JP)