NEU comments on Public Accounts committee report on state of school buildings

Commenting on The condition of school buildings, a report by the Public Accounts Committee on the “unacceptable and alarming” deterioration of school buildings, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:    

"Today's intervention shows there is widespread unease about the Department for Education's handing of the school estate. Over many years now, the Government has been content to allow schools and colleges to slide into disrepair. When the Conservatives took office in 2010 they slashed spending on the school estate - the cumulative cut to expenditure amounts to £43bn.  

"The RAAC crisis exposes the folly of letting so much of the school estate fall into disrepair. However, the Government have yet to commit to increase spending or a timetable for the repair of schools with RAAC. The DfE would like to give the impression that they are now acting with speed to remedy the situation, but in truth they are still asleep at the wheel, now regularly missing their own deadlines to update the public.   

"In the Autumn Statement we need to see substantial new money to tackle a crisis in school buildings which has grown on this Government’s watch. Parents, children and our members deserve better."