Fabian's Blog

Cuts to school buildings program not efficent but ignorant..

Monday 5th July 2010 8:48 PM

One of my proudest achievements as your MP has been my ability to totally transform the schools of Leeds NE. Every single one of the constituency's state secondary schools has been totally transformed. Architect designed buildings, space, light, specialist classrooms and laboratories, computers everywhere and the best staffing levels schools have ever known.

So, you can imagine how dismayed I was today to hear that Michael Gove is axing the 'Building Schools for the Future program. Gove claims this is due to flaws in the project; however, this is simply not the case. Like on so many things this government is out of touch and doesn't understand the difference a good learning environment can make to a childs education.

Today on the BBC's Daily Politics, Philip Hammond the Transport Secretary, said;

"recognising good quality education does not necessarily need sparkling, architect-designed buildings."

Hammond illustrated this very basic ignorance of the material facts of what a good education equates too perfectly in these remarks. How, after all, can a child be expected to learn in a cold, barely heated Portakabin or if they are interrupted by chunks of the ceiling flaking and falling? The obvious answer is that their ability to concentrate and therefore learn is going to be seriously impacted. A good quality education also includes good quality buildings. Labour in power recognised that with the BSF program. It is an awful shame this government cannot recognise that and once again is prepared to attack the future of our most vulnerable in it's ideologically motivated slash and burn approach to cutting the deficit.