ARE students at Peebles High and four other secondaries in the Borders at a disadvantage because their schools are not “new”?

That is the question Lib Dem councillor Catriona Bhatia (Tweeddale West) wants addressed in a new and comprehensive school estate strategy, the go-ahead for which was given this week.

Scottish Borders Council’s education-themed executive heard the long-term blueprint was required for the sustainable and efficient management of an estate, comprising 63 primaries, nine secondaries and over 40 other buildings, which serves 15,000 children and young people.

A report supporting the strategy revealed that when the £21m allocated this financial year and next for a new Kelso High is taken into account, spending on the school estate will account for nearly half of all capital expenditure by the council.

And its upkeep currently represents an annual strain of 47% of total revenue spending.

“Some other Scottish local authorities are prioritising their secondary schools for capital investment on the basis that all pupils, regardless of where they receive primary education, must go through them and it thus has the biggest impact,” said Mrs Bhatia.

“We currently have four brand new high schools [Kelso, Eyemouth, Earlston and Duns]. I appreciate that replacing the other five to create uniformity is not currently one of our policy principles – perhaps it should be.” Committee chairman Councillor Sandy Aitchison, executive member for education, said “nothing is being ruled in or out” although he believed the strategy would have to acknowledge that some schools played important roles as community hubs.

Councillor John Mitchell, SBC’s deputy leader with responsibility for finance, said the status quo was not an option. “There is no doubt that some schools, for a variety of reasons, will close and parents, particularly those with a special affinity for their former schools, will have to be educated to accept this,” he added.

Tuesday’s meeting heard that an over-arching strategy was essential “to provide clarity for all stakeholders over likely investment decisions in the short, medium and longer term [beyond five years]”.

The strategy will “dovetail” with existing capital commitments, and will embrace, as a first step, identification of those schools which are no longer fit for purpose.

In this regard, Tweeddale East councillor Stuart Bell made an early case for improvements at St Ronan’s Primary in Innerleithen.

During a recent visit, he had been perturbed at “leaky metal framed windows and storage heaters which make such a noise, it is almost impossible to hear lessons”.

As with school closures, which require statutory consultation, the strategy will be drawn up after full discussions with parent representatives, head teachers, staff groups and children and young people.