A classroom with state-of-the-art equipment has opened in Glasgow's Botanic Gardens and will be used by thousands of pupils every year.

The Hopkirk Building located in the Botanic Gardens has undergone an £18,000 refurbishment thanks to funding from Glasgow City Council’s Park Development Fund and the Friends of (Botanic Gardens) Group.

The multi-functional space which is already used for art classes, book fairs and craft fairs, will be available for schools to carry out class work while on a visit to the Gardens.

As well as 10 dissecting microscopes, a digital projector and laptop, an interactive smart board and wireless tablet, and a digital visualiser, new blinds and modern lighting have been installed.

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The idea for a classroom at the Botanics came from discussions between the Education Department and Land and Environmental Services.

It is hoped the new facility and equipment will encourage teachers to use the Gardens as an important resource for various curriculum subjects including environmental studies.

Councillor Ruth Simpson, Executive Member for Land and Environmental Services, welcomes the new facility as an excellent resource for teachers, staff and pupils.

She said: "It's a fantastic boost for everyone and now primary schools have the opportunity to extend their visit and use the classroom to explore further the topics covered while looking around the gardens. The biological resources of the Botanic Gardens will form a wide and diverse source of material for examination."

There are over 130 educational visits to the Botanic Gardens each year with the majority receiving staff led guided tours on a range of curriculum related topics such as the rain forest and plant adaptations.

(GK/JM)