Around Pounds 23.5 million over three years is being put into schools in Edinburgh following the sale of the Gyle shopping centre for Pounds 122 million. The city council has been given permission by the Scottish Office to spend Pounds 70 million on capital schemes.
The windfall includes Pounds 9 million on reducing the backlog of school repairs, estimated at around Pounds 37 million, while Firrhill High will be renovated at a cost of Pounds 3.3 million.
Councillors have finally given approval for a Pounds 6 million new technology initiative to bring the Internet to all schools and community centres. Senior school managers will be linked by computer in a local network.
Elizabeth Maginnis, education convener, said the city would be “at the cutting edge of new technology developments”.
