Commenting on the allocation by the Government of £1.4bn for school rebuilding, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The crumbling school estate is emblematic of 14 years of neglect by the previous government. The Conservative’s decision to slash spending on the school estate when they took office in 2010 has meant a cumulative cut to school capital funding of over £40 billion.
Labour are right to acknowledge that we need to be investing in school buildings. This £1.4 billion is a welcome first step, but more is needed. In next year’s spending review and beyond, we need to see sustained and increased investment in the school estate if we are to turn the page on over a decade of austerity.
We look forward to seeing the broader detail of the Budget statement on Wednesday. Educators and parents voted for change at the general election, and they will be looking for the investment our education service so urgently needs”.