Compensation culture ‘threat’ to schools cash​

AN “extraordinary” wave of compensation claims against Scots schools has cost the public purse more than £1 million.

Over the last three years, parents and teachers have lodged 550 claims after accidents at schools – meaning a demand for cash is being made every other day.

Councils forked out £1.1m after a string of minor incidents, including £8100 when one child slipped on a pile of icy leaves, £5000 when another youngster trapped their finger in a door and £2154 when a teacher fell over a handbag in a corridor and hurt their arm.

Other pending claims include hot soup burning a child in a canteen and defective science equipment leading to an acid spill.

Liz Smith, the education spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservatives, has called on the Scottish Government to do more to tackle the “compensation culture” draining taxpayers’ cash.

She said: “Our schools are already underfunded, and having over a million pounds taken out of the system will be doing nothing to help education standards.

“While we need to ensure that we limit the number of accidents occurring, we also need to discourage a compensation culture developing.”

Iain Gray MSP, Scottish Labour’s education spokesman said it would be “unacceptable” if austerity was placing safety at risk.

“These are big sums of money for councils already feeling the squeeze after huge spending cuts from the SNP Government,” he said.

“It would be unacceptable if any of these incidents were a direct result of cuts.”

Trade union Education in Scotland said the Government had to provide safe schools and workplaces, and Brexit could weaken health and safety law in the future.

A spokesman said: “These figures show that there is still a long way to go towards the aim of eliminating injuries in our schools, colleges and universities.

“It is also important to consider that the UK leaving the European Union may have significant repercussions for Health and Safety law in this country.

“Many of the valuable workplace protections that we enjoy today are the result of EU legislation. Once the UK has left the EU, these protections may be diluted by the UK Government.”

A spokesman for COSLA, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, said it was working with schools to cut down the number of accidents, adding: “Local authorities have both a responsible and supportive attitude to health and safety in schools.

“Even in these challenging financial circumstances councils continue to do all they can to prevent incidents that may result in injury and subsequent compensation claims.”