A new era began for Dundee education on Thursday when three primary schools and the first phase of the Grove Academy opened for pupils under Dundee City Council's £90m PPP programme.

Pipers were at Craigowl, Downfield and St Andrew's primaries and Grove Academy to mark the occasion as pupils started lessons following their summer holiday.

Along with Claypotts Castle Primary which opened this May, these are the first new school building openings in the city since 1974.

Dundee City Council administration leader Cllr Kevin Keenan said: "These schools show how the council is investing for the future of this city. We are committed to the aim of continually improving education so that more and more pupils can succeed at school.

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"This is a very special day for pupils, their families, all the teachers and staff at these schools and also for the city of Dundee.

"We are seeing how the largest building programme in education in decades is bearing fruit. It is providing quality facilities that will benefit both learning and teaching for everyone concerned.

"I am sure that pupils and teachers will be very impressed by these facilities and I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in preparing these schools to open."

City council education convener Cllr Laurie Bidwell said: "We are all very excited about the opportunities that the city council is providing for pupils through this major investment.

"The completion of these schools in the first part of the council's PPP programme is a significant milestone toward the completion of the project.

"This is a vital component in our ongoing efforts to keep improving education in the city. I am delighted that these schools are opening and pupils and teachers are getting down to work in their new surroundings."

The other schools opening next year under the second phase of the city council's PPP programme are St Paul's Academy, the completion of the Grove Academy replacement and Fintry & Rowantree primaries.

(GK/JM)