CENTRAL FIFE schools are to receive a £1.32 million cash boost in new funding announced by Depute First Minister John Swinney yesterday (Wednesday).

Beath High School will receive £136,800 and 17 primary schools will also benefit as part of the Scottish Government’s new £120 million Pupil Equity Fund unveiled by Mr Swinney.

Fife schools received £9.8 million in the Scottish Government’s drive to limit the effect poverty has on exam results.

The list of Central Fife primary schools receiving funding is:

Benarty £153,000.

Cardenden £75,600.

Cowdenbeath £108,000.

Crossgates £34,800.

Denend £73,200.

Foulford £72,000.

Hill of Beath £40,800.

Kelty £135,600.

Kinglassie £66,000.

Lochgelly South £45,600.

Loghgelly West £92,400.

Lumphinnans £45,600.

St Bride's £84,000.

St Joseph's £81,600.

St Kenneth's £123,600.

St Ninian's £51,600.

St Patrick's £36,000.

It will be up to teachers and school leaders to decide the best way of using the funding to close the poverty-related attainment gap in their schools.

Welcoming the announcement, Ms Annabelle Ewing MSP, Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Cowdenbeath constituency, said: “Primary and secondary schools across my constituency are set to receive additional support worth more than two million pounds from the Scottish Government.

“Teachers and school leaders will have the ability to decide the best way of using the funding to close the poverty related attainment gap in their schools.

“Every child in Scotland should have the best possible start in life, and it is unacceptable for children from the poorest backgrounds to have their chances limited by circumstances outside their control.

“The SNP in government has made closing the poverty-related attainment gap our number one priority, and our new £120million Pupil Equity Fund is aimed at doing just that – supporting primary and secondary schools across Perth and Kinross and throughout Scotland.

“This new announcement will let parents, teachers and school leaders see how much funding they can expect to help drive up standards and tackle the inter-generational cycle of deprivation in their school.”

Mr Swinney said: “We are providing additional ring-fenced funding which will enable individual schools to target support where it is needed the most.”