The children of P6 Sunnyside Primary in Craigend in the East End of the city asked if I could give them ideas to overcome the delapidation of their school and particularly the restrictions on their sports activities. I decided to go and see for myself and here's what I found.Pic 1 - the sports pitch is full of weeds and bumps so this was the council's solution, 2 big piles of stones which when I visited had been sitting there for 2 weeks!
Pic 2 - the playground is full of potholes and drain covers jutting up so any running about freely can be forgotten!
Pic 3 - the showers in the changing rooms? No showers, but tables in their place! So even when they have gym class they can't get washed!
Next steps in the campaign - watch this space. These kids are P7 so they're leaving soon but they're determined to get this sorted for the kids they're leaving behind. That kind of selfless community spirit should be rewarded don't you think?
I have a sneaking suspicion that the condition of their sports areas might be reflected across the country. With the crumbling infrastructure which accompanies Victorian buildings and every changing demands on school budgets, maintaining playgrounds can't be a high priority for school administrators.
ReplyDeleteSadly, with the current economic climate, I'm not sure it's an issue easily dealt with unless schools look to go back to doing more fundraising themselves.
Yes but the problem is there is a team of teachers pupils and parents willing to carry out the work and the council said no, only they can do it! So even if they get the money together, the council won't allow them to get the work done.
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