SCOTLAND.- The National Lottery has awarded children at a Scottish primary school £200,000 to spend on an arts project of their choice. This was done in recognition of their success in setting up an award-winning art studio. The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (Nesta) announced that it was unprecedented to make such a grant to children but considered that the pupils of Caol Primary School in Fort William were "worth the risk".

The award, which will be phased over three years, is to be spent on expanding the "Room 13" project to other schools in the Highlands and setting up a waterfront gallery to display the results.

Under the existing scheme, the 185 pupils, aged between 8 and 11, are allowed to visit the studio at any time - provided they are not behind with their studies - to create visual art or discuss literature or philosophy.

The award comes as art teaching is being forced to the margins of the timetable in many primary schools because of the emphasis on literacy and numeracy in the national curriculum.