The
cancellation of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) in 2010 brought an abrupt
end to the building plans of around 1,000 schools in
England. In the immediate aftermath of the decision, the secretary of state for
education, Michael Gove,
announced that there would be a "complete overhaul" of school
capital, starting with a review led by retail executive Sebastian James, to
rethink how school building is financed and managed.
However,
although the James Review published its report and recommendations a year ago,
local authorities and schools are still awaiting a response.
In
the meantime, money devolved directly to schools for capital spending has been
cut by 80%, and local authority capital streams by about 60%, leaving only the Priority School Building Programme –
a £2bn investment fund for schools in the worst physical condition to be
privately funded – as the sole source of large-scale capital investment.
The
Department for Education (DfE) is not able to give reasons for the delay or
indeed to say how many schools might qualify for the BSF. A spokesperson
explained that every bid was being re-examined by the new Education Funding Agency:
"We can't say when the final announcement
will be. It is important that every application is treated fairly".
However, the PSBP bids may only be
the tip of a huge iceberg. Some estimates suggest that over £8bn may be
required to meet schools' basic needs before "suitability"
(development of the buildings to meet curriculum and school improvement need)
can be addressed.
David Simmonds, a Conservative
councillor who chairs the Local Government Association's children and young
people board, admitted this could be a potential political problem for the
government in the run up to the next election.
"There have been a number of
false dawns, and it is frustrating for mums and dads waiting to hear about
their children's schools," he says. "If Whitehall says it is going to
step into the role of the local authority and be the Big Brother for schools,
they need to be putting in place resources so they can do it effectively. You
can't pull the rug from under schools, and then say nothing is available when
schools are having to deal with asbestos, leaking roofs and inadequate
toilets."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/apr/30/tories-fail-funds-school-building?newsfeed=true
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