More than 100 schools told to close buildings over safety fears

So who else blocked the spending on buildings when he was Chancellor?

Maybe it was that dastardly 'Treasury'?

I've just been reminded by a friend is that another problem is the original footings and the walls, which were often constructed with metal frames, might not be strong enough for a new roof. RAAC is light, which is one reason why it was used.

MaizieD

^So who else blocked the spending on buildings when he was Chancellor?^

Maybe it was that dastardly 'Treasury'?

Errrmmm? You mean the civil servants, one of whom has just reported the dastardliness?

Sunak authorised major work on 50 schools a year. There are approximately 20,000 schools in England. He's supposed to be good at maths, so I'm sure he could have worked out that it would take 400 years to get round to major repairs at that rate.

Germanshepherdsmum

I can’t stand the woman so no, I never watch it now.

Well can't blame you there. But then best not to comment on what was said on that Programme to LK, perhaps.

Please make an exception and watch the interview

www.bbc.com/news/uk-66700026

we will spend what it takes to make sure children can go to school safely YES

Couldn't be clearer

Errrmmm? You mean the civil servants, one of whom has just reported the dastardliness?

I understood that was a former perm. sec. at the DfE, not the Treasury.

My 'dastardly Treasury' comment was meant to be an ironic reference to the fact that Sunak drastically cut the schools rebuilding plan, from an already inadequate 100 a year to 50. when he was Chancellor.

In view of the current Chancellor's apparent inability to control the Treasury, perhaps Sunak had the same problem...

As I didn’t see the programme I wasn’t commenting on what was said on it FP. Thanks for the link but I don’t wish to watch her thanks. Doubtless I will be able to catch up with the news elsewhere. Maybe they will spend what it takes and reduce education budgets accordingly.

You are welcome. I did somehow guess you wouldn't watch - so I copied the most important bit. He clearly said

we will spend what it takes to make sure children can go to school safely YES

Germanshepherdsmum

As I didn’t see the programme I wasn’t commenting on what was said on it FP. Thanks for the link but I don’t wish to watch her thanks. Doubtless I will be able to catch up with the news elsewhere. Maybe they will spend what it takes and reduce education budgets accordingly.

That's exactly what Hunt said he'll do.

Without knowing exactly how much it will cost, it's likely to be at least 10% of the education budget. Schools have already had their budgets cut drastically in real terms, so goodness knows where they're supposed to make the savings. Not only that, but he said that he won't cover all costs.

MaizieD

^Errrmmm? You mean the civil servants, one of whom has just reported the dastardliness?^

I understood that was a former perm. sec. at the DfE, not the Treasury.

My 'dastardly Treasury' comment was meant to be an ironic reference to the fact that Sunak drastically cut the schools rebuilding plan, from an already inadequate 100 a year to 50. when he was Chancellor.

In view of the current Chancellor's apparent inability to control the Treasury, perhaps Sunak had the same problem...

Well, I think the dastardly Treasurers should be taken to Tower Hill and hung, drawn and quartered.

PS. Does anybody know who they are?

Trurider1

Right, i am going to add to what I previously said. ONE Every Concrete Pour has tto be tested and recorded so back in 1985 WE knew exactly where this stuff was and the likely cost of replacing it in which cases wasn't really possible. The plan was to monitor as it wouldn't all fail at once and replace as necessary BUT several LABOUR and Conservative Government have le the plan slip so neither can blame the other. TWO, There are a mass of empty Office buildings around the Country mostly new and empty. They have large Car park and are cabled up for Computers. They can be rapidly converted into School Premises. They need proper fencing and romm dividers and that is it. JOB DONE.

We had all this with Covid. Why do people think that a classroom is 4 walls and an internet connection. Twenty-first century classrooms normally have an interactive whiteboard (IWB) and several computers in them. (Teaching resources are kept digitally)
If you're moving a secondary school, where would 50 IWBs come from? Or even 50 ordinary whiteboards? Text books are incredibly expensive, never go home and don't keep up with curriculum changes, so aren't used nearly as often as in days of yore.
Specialist rooms? Or would it be no Food lessons, Art, DT, Science etc? No PE?
Moving tables, chairs, books takes a week (I worked in a school with a whole school new build 100m down the road)
'Rapidly converted' means half a term

Is it true Keegan's Department recently spent £34 million on a facelift while schools were in need of urgent repairs?

Very shallow observation here, but how much does she spend on dresses too? She had a black one on for THAT interview, then a red one on for the apology a few hours later!

Chardy you could also add that empty office blocks are not necessarily anywhere near where schools are located and convenient for their catchment areas.

I live in a heavily built up county,, but I can think of at least 3 large secondary schools which are in deep rural areas, where the nearest office block, occupied or on occupied, is at least 5 miles away and on no direct travel route. Not to mention many more village primary schools, many of them in modern school buildings, the traditional Victorian brick building having been sold off to make a very nice house, decades ago.

Monica of course there aren't that many empty office blocks. (And since Covid and the acceptance of working from home, some office blocks have been turned into flats.)
I got very fed-up at Lockdown when folk, who hadn't been in a school for decades, decided they knew exactly how to solve schools' problems!
A friend said to me yesterday 'Aren't you glad we're both retired from teaching?'.
Frankly my heart breaks for teachers, pupils and parents. Successive govts want to spend as little money as possible, and make life as difficult as possible for schools. (Soapbox back in cupboard)

Grantanow

Is it true Keegan's Department recently spent £34 million on a facelift while schools were in need of urgent repairs?

Well it might only be £32 million and anyway she didn't know about it!
news.sky.com/story/education-secretary-gillian-keegan-didnt-know-about-32m-spending-on-departmental-office-refurbishment-12954848
Makes you wonder what on earth ministers do do.
It would have made a wonderful episode of "Yes minister"

Office blocks? Oh please - schoolchildren range from four to eighteen. Primary children need outside space, few or no stairs for safety and I'd love to see the costing and timescale to construct the appropriate sized lavatory and washbasin facilities.

Chocolatelovinggran

Office blocks? Oh please - schoolchildren range from four to eighteen. Primary children need outside space, few or no stairs for safety and I'd love to see the costing and timescale to construct the appropriate sized lavatory and washbasin facilities.

Teenagers could have a whale of a time in the lifts!!! And the opportunities to get lost in between classes!!!

Glorianny

Chocolatelovinggran

Office blocks? Oh please - schoolchildren range from four to eighteen. Primary children need outside space, few or no stairs for safety and I'd love to see the costing and timescale to construct the appropriate sized lavatory and washbasin facilities.

Teenagers could have a whale of a time in the lifts!!! And the opportunities to get lost in between classes!!!

I was just thinking about that! Lesson changes in a secondary school would chaos.

*be chaos"

If there are any London schools affected, I wonder if Gilliam Keegan would mind offering a newly refurbished office block.

It's obscene - a new secondary school could be built for £32 million.

Glorianny

Chocolatelovinggran

Office blocks? Oh please - schoolchildren range from four to eighteen. Primary children need outside space, few or no stairs for safety and I'd love to see the costing and timescale to construct the appropriate sized lavatory and washbasin facilities.

Teenagers could have a whale of a time in the lifts!!! And the opportunities to get lost in between classes!!!

"I got stuck in the lift, Miss", could take over from some other well-worn excuses.

Teenagers could have a whale of a time in the lifts!!!
😆
That's why one of the recent school retrofits DH oversaw had a glass lift so you could see it ALL!!

Capital spending has gone down by a third since Labour left office from 8bn to 5bn.

Overall government spending on education has been flatlined since the Tories came to office. Labour spent £1 in £5 on education the Tories £1 in £20 capital spending.

NAO said that this governments sticking plaster approach has effectively wasted many millions of pounds.

2020 DoE said £5bn needed spending on urgent repairs, but they’ve only been spending 40% of the requirement.

Spending per pupil has totally flatlined since 2010.

Newsagents

Joseann

^Teenagers could have a whale of a time in the lifts!!!^
😆
That's why one of the recent school retrofits DH oversaw had a glass lift so you could see it ALL!!

OMG just the thought of it!