Commenting on the announcement of £400m to invest in the
repair of school and college buildings in England, Dr
Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the
National Education Union, said:
“Today’s announcement is yet another admission by
Government that it has failed schools and colleges. However, they
still fail to realise the scale of the problem. Having schools
and colleges jump through hoops for vital funds amounts to yet
more of the same, rather than a serious solution. It does nothing
to help the school system as a whole shift course and find
prosperity.
“Schools and colleges have suffered a deep and wounding
real-terms funding crisis for many years, which recent spending
announcements will not fix. Years of tight budgets has made
repairs to buildings unaffordable if not impossible. The
Coalition government scrapped Building Schools for the Future in
2010, cancelling 700 building projects at a stroke. Today’s
announcement of £400m is too little, too late.
“It is unacceptable that, in the 21st century, so many
children and young people go to schools which have Victorian
conditions. Government must get serious about a problem of its
own creation.
“Acting tough on executive pay is another example of
closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Although
minsters may preach pay restraint, they have no levers to pull to
make it happen.”
