It pays to listen
Amazing isn’t it how journalists have all of a sudden realised that the National Audit Office reported on the state of the UK’s schools in June this year and was absolutely damning about their state and safety.
Now we are all hurrying back to read the report properly and find out what is really going on, a pity that we didn’t do that the first time.
Or even better if the government had read it and realised it was throwing good money after bad by refusing to spend enough up front to fix the problem, wasting billions as a result.
But one thing from the report has not got as much attention as it deserves, even now. Raac wasn’t considered the worst problem.
The schools of the UK also have huge problems with asbestos, electrical wiring, heating and ventilation. Or should I say the state schools do, I a pretty sure that Eton, Harrow and Winchester are fine.
But the building stock of the UK state school is perilous, is putting children at risk and no money is being provided to fix the issues.
Any money will have to come from the education budget, so it means less pay, fewer teachers, fewer books, fewer new schools.
This is what happens when you are stupid and cynical enough to think you can do more with less. The NAO knows it but nobody listens.
In future we should pay more attention to its reports. As it knows full well the government has failed to maintain the schools’ estate and now has to spend even more to put it right than it would have cost to maintain it.
But it won’t be spending money on asbestos, electrical wiring, heating and ventilation. No I think we will have to wait for another crisis for that to happen, followed by more emergency spending, more cost and more waste.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
By Jonty Bloom Media