Harming the cradle of our future

Jul 7 2010 by Andrew Hebden, The Journal

THERE has been much uproar about the Government's decision to abolish the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, the latest high-profile casualty of the need to make hefty public spending cuts.

As someone who was educated in a crumbling comprehensive school in the 1990s, but still managed to get a decent education despite the Victorian surroundings, I’ve not always been convinced of the merits of this scheme.

I am aware of several examples of failing schools that were knocked down to make way for shiny new replacements, only for the old problems to remain, and in some cases to intensify. The reports of multi-million pound buildings being subjected to vandalism are proof that solving a problem cannot be achieved by investment alone.

My perceptions of the BSF programme have been transformed, however, since coming to the North East where I have visited – via a programme run by the CBI – several schools.

In two cases, the new buildings were completed and I was staggered by what I saw. A range of facilities – such as classrooms fitted out with the latest interactive technology, first class sports halls and even lecture theatres – that would be the envy of any educational establishment .

But more importantly, I found schools where academic achievement had improved and senior staff spoke of a new sense of pride.

The third example I found was a school in a deprived area of County Durham where the existing crumbling accommodation was due to be replaced by a new building. It was clear that the plans for its modern replacement had already galvanised everyone associated with the school, giving many parents the impetus to engage with it for the first time.

I am well aware that cutting the BSF programme will have a significant impact on many companies. But it is the effect on the young people who attend these schools that gives me most concern. If we are looking to build a knowledge economy for the future, it seems short-sighted to be harming the education system that will create it.

andrew.hebden@ncjmedia.co.uk - The Voice of nebusiness