Child safety fears as 'repaired' ceiling falls at neglected school

Parents have raised safety fears about a dilapidated East Dunbartonshire school, after a teacher narrowly avoided being hit when a "repaired" section of ceiling fell down.

The 150-year-old Milngavie Primary School has faced issues with black mould, mushrooms and water leaking through the roof.

East Dunbartonshire Council agreed in 2021 that the school have a full refurbishment, but the project was shelved this summer due to rising costs.

The council said its officers conducted daily checks of the building and has committed to further improvements until a refurbishment can be funded.

But the school's parent council says the building needs a new roof, windows and permanent repairs.

Parents say it is lucky there were no pupils in class when the ceiling section fell and the safety of children and teachers is at risk every day.

Karen Reid, head of the Milngavie Primary Parent Council, said the school was not a healthy learning environment for the local children.

She urged the council to take immediate action to make the building watertight and windproof.

Ms Reid said the teacher who had almost been hit by a piece of falling wood was "shaken".

The wood had been nailed to the ceiling above the teacher's desk as a temporary repair.

Ms Reid said: "The teacher was very shaken by the incident and it was quite shocking for parents.

"She could have been seriously injured.

"Luckily the children were at a music lesson and not in the classroom. I think seeing something like that would make them very nervous.

"We have a lot of concerns about the makeshift patches like this - and some of the others are about four or five times the size of this patch."

Ms Reid said the incident coincided with parents' week and made many parents question the pace of the repairs.

She said: "Lots of parents were going into their children's classrooms and seeing cracks, patch repairs and damp - and it's just not very reassuring.

"The optimism that the repairs were coming has gone and we're really concerned for children in the building now.

"We need the council to realise the urgency of situation, especially when bits of the ceiling are falling down."

Julie, who has lived in the town for 17 years, said the wooden square fell in her son's classroom.

She told BBC Scotland News that she was angry to hear it had been nailed to the ceiling as a temporary repair.

"It's only by chance that it fell when the kids weren't there," she said.

"It's really distressing to think about the potential consequences of what could've happened, and it's just luck it missed the teacher.

"A child could've been stood at her desk when it fell.

"This just shows what could happen when these things aren't done properly. We need these repairs done well and on a timescale."

Calum, who has two boys at the school and another in nursery, said Milngavie Primary could not continue to operate in its current state of neglect.

"Years have gone by and basic stuff isn’t being done," he said.

"Somebody has to take responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of the kids while they’re in their place of education.

"It’s an unsustainable situation and there is genuine concern that something quite significant could happen to either a staff member or a child. There’s a real concern, something needs to be done quite urgently."

Leigh has two children at the school and says she fears her son's asthma worsening due to the damp and mould.

"We moved here for work in 2021 and thought it was a nice place with good schools," she told BBC Scotland News.

"The refurbishment was on its way at the time, but now it’s fallen apart and it’s a growing concern for the children’s health.

"The patch repairs are nothing - it’s water ingress, the roof is leaking. It’s the state of the toilets and the playground. It’s an unpleasant environment for the children to go into.

"I’m quite concerned it’s just rhetoric and waffle and it’ll go another year, two years - and nothing substantial will happen."

A recent review of Scotland's school estate found that 8.3% of schools were in a poor or bad condition - which is equal to 204 schools.

The number of pupils in schools with a bad condition rating has risen for the third consecutive year - from 1,736 in 2023, to 4,292 this year.

And 51,905 pupils are taught in buildings with a poor condition rating.

East Dunbartonshire Council's assets and facilities executive officer Alan Bauer said: “A patch of MDF, applied to the ceiling as part of a historic repair, fell from a classroom ceiling in Milngavie Primary School.

"Fortunately, no-one was injured, and a full check of the ceiling has been carried out to ensure the classroom is safe for use.

"This incident is not related to proposed works to address current isolated pockets of water ingress which has recently been reported to the council."

Mr Bauer said the health and safety of staff and pupils was the council's "utmost priority".

He confirmed that officers conducted daily checks of the school building and carried out maintenance repairs, and further works were planned for the October holidays. Roof replacement options are also under review.