The Edinburgh-based Scottish Schools Equipment Research Centre has been saved. John Richardson, the centre’s director, said this week that sufficient guarantees of funding had been received from the new unitary authorities.
Failure by councils to give a commitment to the centre, which has provided support to schools in science and technology as well as health and safety matters for 30 years, forced it to announce last month that it was to cease trading (TESS, February 9).
Mr Richardson said the major breakthrough was an agreement by Lothian’s four successor authorities to continue seconding staff to the centre. The larger authorities had also pledged support from subscriptions and fees.
Pressure to retain the service had come from the Association for Science Education and the Headteachers’ Association of Scotland. Mr Richardson said support received from schools for the centre’s contribution to their work was particularly gratifying.
