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Schools set for £5.1bn building programme
Schools are set for a "massive investment" with a £5.1 billion building programme.
Tony Blair revealed details on Thursday of the first wave of local education authorities in England to benefit from the Building Schools for the Future programme.
A total of 14 LEAs will share £2.2 billion in the first wave of funding to pay for new buildings or major repair programmes at around 180 schools. The cash will reach schools next year.
A further £2.9 billion will be spent on schools capital programmes not covered by Building Schools for the Future funding over 2005/06.
The prime minister hailed "a massive investment in our future" reversing "a generation of under-funding".
The government pledged ahead of the announcement that every school in England will be overhauled during the next 15 years.
But officials admitted the cash is not new money but a detailed allocation of money from existing provisions.
Radical change
The prime minister also called for radical change.
"Where the challenge is greatest, the reform must be boldest," Blair said.
Schools will be expected to move their focus towards individual teaching and consider opting for city academy status.
Authority managers, school governors, teachers and parents will be expected to create a plan for their school, focusing on its character, detailing the changes they want to make.
In return they will get cash to overhaul facilities rather than repairing broken windows or worn out buildings.
Partnership
A new body, Partnerships for Schools, will work with each LEA and a private sector partner to develop the local school estate concept and construct, maintain and operate the new facilities.
"We're moving away from the sticking plaster approach of the past. The important thing is that we don't try and mend as we go," said the official spokesman.
"This is investment and reform hand in hand."
Schools minister David Miliband claimed the changes would create flexible, inclusive and attractive learning environments.
"Building Schools for the Future will deliver tailored classroom facilities to support innovative teaching styles; high quality facilities to support subject specialism; and integrated ICT; all to help deliver personalised learning tailored to the needs, interests and aptitudes of every child," he said.
"Strategic investment will now occur across local education authorities, not just in individual schools, allowing them to plan and build for the whole secondary estate in the area, cutting through legal and design bureaucracy."
Unions
Teaching unions welcomed the cash but were dismissive of the link to reform.
"The promise to refurbish England’s secondary schools must be welcome. The prime minister should encourage local authorities and schools to involve teachers in as partners in any design change," said Doug McAvoy, NUT general secretary.
"This will ensure that changes are supportive of teaching, help with behavioural problems and provide improved safety and security for pupils and teachers.
"It is a pity that his vision of improving every secondary school building is marred by his fixation with academy status. That can only have a disruptive effect on educational provision in other secondary schools."
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