22 March 2007
The £45 billion being spent on transforming secondary school buildings is an investment in the future of the country, Tony Blair has said.
In a message recorded for the Partnerships for Schools conference, the PM said there was no more ambitious school building programme going on anywhere in Europe.
But it’s about more than bricks and mortar, he insisted.
"This is an opportunity to revolutionise education by harnessing the best of the public and private sectors," Mr Blair told delegates. "We are investing in the future of our children and in the future of the country."
Partnerships for Schools is responsible for delivering the government’s secondary school renewal programme, known as Building Schools for the Future.
They are working to rebuild or renew every one of England’s 3,500 state secondary schools during the 15-year lifetime of the £45 billion programme.
BSF is just part of a massive capital investment addressing decades of underinvestment - rising from less than £700 million in 1997 to £5.9 billion this year and £8 billion in 2010.
The conference in London is bringing together public and private sector stakeholders to share experiences and celebrate the successes so far.
- See our education section
- More about Building Schools for the Future
- More about Partnership for Schools
Forest Oak and Merstone Schools
The first full Building Schools for the Future secondary schools are due to open in September but many have already benefitted from BSF funding.
For example, the headteachers of Forest Oak and Merstone Schools have become the proud owners of a brand new £8m campus [pictured].
The two schools now share a campus on the site of Smith’s Wood secondary school which caters for up to 180 pupils.
The campus has state-of-the-art ICT equipment as well as facilities such as a warm water pool, light and dark sensory rooms, specialist curriculum rooms and play facilities.
delicious
digg
facebook
