'No money to rebuild schools' (From Daily Echo)
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'No money to rebuild schools'
2:30pm Thursday 13th January 2011 in News By Sam Lister
Sholing Technology College
THE Government has told a cross-party delegation of Southampton politicians there is no money to rebuild the city’s schools.
The blow comes just a day after it was revealed Southampton had slipped down the national GCSE league tables and has the worst-performing school in the country based on progress made by pupils.
The city has dropped four places nationally to 139th out of 151, according to the proportion of pupils leaving school with five or more A* to C grades, including maths and English.
Oasis Academy Mayfield had the lowest contextual value added score, which measures development between the ages of 11 and 16, of any school in England.
Labour MP John Denham and Tory education boss Cllr Paul Holmes travelled to Westminster with council children’s services director Clive Webster for a top level meeting with the Schools Minister to plead for extra cash for much-needed building projects in the city.
Southampton is facing a massive shortfall after the coalition government axed the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme last year.
The city had been promised £200m, with £110m in the first wave to completely rebuild five secondary schools and provide new IT facilities at three more.
Council bosses are also facing a massive shortfall as they try to create nearly 3,000 new places at primary schools to cope with a crisis caused in part by rising birth rates.
The authority has just £13m available for all school building projects, but expanding schools for under-11s alone could cost up to £38m.
The knock-on effect on secondaries is expected to cost another £15m within four years.
But Lord Hill told the trio Government coffers are empty, although he did pledge to order one of his senior officials to tour the city’s schools to see the problems first hand. The cross-party group hopes that will mean Southampton is given a better capital grant settlement next year.
Mr Denham said an assessment revealed tackling the “absolute minimum” level of repairs, including replacement windows, leaky roofs and asbestos-related issues, will cost £5m in the next financial year.
He said: “As well as that, a number of secondary schools went co-educational on the basis that the building programme was going ahead and they are now left with buildings that are unsuitable.
“The minister was very clear that there is no more money. What we did was put the case that when allocating money in future it was important that he understands Southampton’s needs.
“We were promised by David Cameron in the Daily Echo that the BSF programme would not be cut.
“It is frustrating we have lost the programme but we have to keep on at it now. I think we made a very strong case.”
Cllr Holmes said the meeting had been “successful”. He said: “It was a chance to put Southampton’s issues, challenges and successes to the minister, to raise its profile.
“He couldn’t give any guarantees or get his cheque book out, but officials will come and talk to us about any money that’s available in the future.”
Comments(22)
Shoong
says...
2:51pm Thu 13 Jan 11
southy wrote:I don't know why you bother differentiate between parties or any politicians, they all talk BS.
“We were promised by David Cameron in the Daily Echo that the BSF programme would not be cut.
normal then say one thing but do the other.
Do you sit here all day waiting for new stories to come in?
southy
says...
3:11pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Shoong wrote:will agree with on that, there is not a lot of differences between all the major party,s, that got to be expected they all supporting the same type of politics right wing stuff. just that the libs with do it in a bigger way than labour, and the tory,s will do it even in a bigger way than the libs.
southy wrote:I don't know why you bother differentiate between parties or any politicians, they all talk BS.
“We were promised by David Cameron in the Daily Echo that the BSF programme would not be cut.
normal then say one thing but do the other.
Do you sit here all day waiting for new stories to come in?
lesser of the evils stuff.
has for the other bit its off topic, but i just pop in and out, but i am on the pc looking for stuff information and digging real deep. don't reply on this part has it will only take it even more off topic.
kazzey74
says...
3:15pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Shoong wrote:i think thats verey rude reg the above sitting there all day for new stories more money should be spent on schools we should stop paying money towards drug addictes and drunks and putting that money were its needed in to schools there is some amazing teachers in our schools but they have to work in horribile schools becouse there is no money being put in to our schools
southy wrote: “We were promised by David Cameron in the Daily Echo that the BSF programme would not be cut. normal then say one thing but do the other.I don't know why you bother differentiate between parties or any politicians, they all talk BS. Do you sit here all day waiting for new stories to come in?
Here, There
says...
3:42pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Paramjit Bahia
says...
4:15pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Yet another bad news for the education of our children
.
I may dislike ConDem coalition but even I did not expect they will be so cruel. Especially when Tory Cll.Holmes and NuLabour’s MP John Denham joined together for genuinely good cause. They have been kicked in the teeth by ruthless Tory minister
.
I suppose when you are at the bottom only way could be up. If all of us unite beyond political divides on this issue, and campaign for our children, Southampton may be able to get desperately needed funding for schools.
RadicalEmu
says...
4:16pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Paramjit Bahia
says...
4:21pm Thu 13 Jan 11
RadicalEmu wrote:Soon they may be passing a law to ban word U-turn and replace it with 'Magic round-about'
I'm surprised there aren't more accidents with the amount of sudden u-turns this government is performing!
Because thats what this ConDem Coalition is all about.
RadicalEmu
says...
4:23pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Paramjit Bahia wrote:Hey, that rhymed!
RadicalEmu wrote:Soon they may be passing a law to ban word U-turn and replace it with 'Magic round-about'
I'm surprised there aren't more accidents with the amount of sudden u-turns this government is performing!
Because thats what this ConDem Coalition is all about.
Paramjit Bahia
says...
4:54pm Thu 13 Jan 11
southy wrote:You can’t be accused of making it up today. With my tendency to forget, even I remember reading that in the Echo
“We were promised by David Cameron in the Daily Echo that the BSF programme would not be cut. normal then say one thing but do the other.
.
But I don’t trust Tories or Liberal-Democrats so was not fooled by cunning Cameron’s false promise and voted for tried and tested sitting MP Alan Whitehead once again.
Obviously most people in Southampton also did the same
.
Sadly our city is paying the price for others who were misled by main media and massively expensive campaigns financed by the likes of Cashcroft into believing that self confessed nasty party has become softer and Lib-Dems reliable **** cats
.
Mind you NuLabour’s constant betrayal of good old Labour values only helped the other two parties
.
I think tonight in by-election you will see that people have found out the truth. So let us wait for comparatively good news i.e. ‘Our Devil’ will be knocking the wind out of ‘devils’ of others. (You haven’t heard me saying ‘POLITICAL TRIPLETS’)
southy
says...
5:17pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Paramjit Bahia wrote:last time i look at the by-election, the torys might end up losing there deposit.
southy wrote:You can’t be accused of making it up today. With my tendency to forget, even I remember reading that in the Echo
“We were promised by David Cameron in the Daily Echo that the BSF programme would not be cut. normal then say one thing but do the other.
.
But I don’t trust Tories or Liberal-Democrats so was not fooled by cunning Cameron’s false promise and voted for tried and tested sitting MP Alan Whitehead once again.
Obviously most people in Southampton also did the same
.
Sadly our city is paying the price for others who were misled by main media and massively expensive campaigns financed by the likes of Cashcroft into believing that self confessed nasty party has become softer and Lib-Dems reliable **** cats
.
Mind you NuLabour’s constant betrayal of good old Labour values only helped the other two parties
.
I think tonight in by-election you will see that people have found out the truth. So let us wait for comparatively good news i.e. ‘Our Devil’ will be knocking the wind out of ‘devils’ of others. (You haven’t heard me saying ‘POLITICAL TRIPLETS’)
but those sort of things, you can never really tell till the last minute, looks like labour will take that seat again any way so no change.
janee
says...
5:24pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Lord Hill has written a letter to one head which clearly indicates that the agenda is about attacking the unions and working conditions. As someone who work for many years before becoming a teacher, I have seen both sides of the fence and teaching was the hardest job I ever did (even though the most rewarding and interesting).
Torchie1
says...
5:54pm Thu 13 Jan 11
southy wrote:Twenty six TUSC candidates from the last General Election will hopefully offer sympathy and support if they all have something in common.
Paramjit Bahia wrote:last time i look at the by-election, the torys might end up losing there deposit.
southy wrote:You can’t be accused of making it up today. With my tendency to forget, even I remember reading that in the Echo
“We were promised by David Cameron in the Daily Echo that the BSF programme would not be cut. normal then say one thing but do the other.
.
But I don’t trust Tories or Liberal-Democrats so was not fooled by cunning Cameron’s false promise and voted for tried and tested sitting MP Alan Whitehead once again.
Obviously most people in Southampton also did the same
.
Sadly our city is paying the price for others who were misled by main media and massively expensive campaigns financed by the likes of Cashcroft into believing that self confessed nasty party has become softer and Lib-Dems reliable **** cats
.
Mind you NuLabour’s constant betrayal of good old Labour values only helped the other two parties
.
I think tonight in by-election you will see that people have found out the truth. So let us wait for comparatively good news i.e. ‘Our Devil’ will be knocking the wind out of ‘devils’ of others. (You haven’t heard me saying ‘POLITICAL TRIPLETS’)
but those sort of things, you can never really tell till the last minute, looks like labour will take that seat again any way so no change.
cyber_fug
says...
6:02pm Thu 13 Jan 11
http://falseeconomy.
org.uk/blog/no-money
-left-uk-corporation
s-are-sitting-on-a-6
00bn-surplus
RadicalEmu
says...
6:19pm Thu 13 Jan 11
cyber_fug wrote:Nice work!
This should set the cat amongst the pigeons.... if it's true of course ;o)
http://falseeconomy.
org.uk/blog/no-money
-left-uk-corporation
s-are-sitting-on-a-6
00bn-surplus
southy
says...
7:22pm Thu 13 Jan 11
RadicalEmu wrote:its true cyber, i know where duncan got that from.
cyber_fug wrote:Nice work!
This should set the cat amongst the pigeons.... if it's true of course ;o)
http://falseeconomy.
org.uk/blog/no-money
-left-uk-corporation
s-are-sitting-on-a-6
00bn-surplus
Condor Man
says...
8:51pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Schools need to concentrate on providing excellent educations, not on buildings. I was taught in huts, it got me to a proper university.
RadicalEmu
says...
9:15pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Condor Man wrote:Was the university made of straw or brick?
Perhaps Sholing want to ask their MP why when he was Higher Education Minister the money to move them to the Itchen College site disappeared? Also, after 13 years of government why weren't these projects started sooner? The reason was that most plans were ill-conceived and not properly thought through.
Schools need to concentrate on providing excellent educations, not on buildings. I was taught in huts, it got me to a proper university.
Condor Man
says...
9:34pm Thu 13 Jan 11
RadicalEmu wrote:the huts may have been made from mud, the uni was built from stone.
Condor Man wrote:Was the university made of straw or brick?
Perhaps Sholing want to ask their MP why when he was Higher Education Minister the money to move them to the Itchen College site disappeared? Also, after 13 years of government why weren't these projects started sooner? The reason was that most plans were ill-conceived and not properly thought through.
Schools need to concentrate on providing excellent educations, not on buildings. I was taught in huts, it got me to a proper university.
I am Saint Paul
says...
11:40pm Thu 13 Jan 11
I think it was on the same day that i read that the Afghan premier had criticised the British military approach in Afghanistan.
number7
says...
1:55am Fri 14 Jan 11
kazzey74 wrote:The UK needs to legalise drugs. Especially cannabis. That will sort out the countries money problems AND will cut down the crime rate.
Shoong wrote:i think thats verey rude reg the above sitting there all day for new stories more money should be spent on schools we should stop paying money towards drug addictes and drunks and putting that money were its needed in to schools there is some amazing teachers in our schools but they have to work in horribile schools becouse there is no money being put in to our schools
southy wrote: “We were promised by David Cameron in the Daily Echo that the BSF programme would not be cut. normal then say one thing but do the other.I don't know why you bother differentiate between parties or any politicians, they all talk BS. Do you sit here all day waiting for new stories to come in?
SIMPLE ISN'T IT?!?!
RadicalEmu
says...
2:19pm Fri 14 Jan 11
I am Saint Paul wrote:And why not? We're bombing the place, the least we could do is sweep up after ourselves.
I find this slightly annoying when i read that this government has recently spent 2 million pounds on a new school in Afghanistan funded by UK taxpayers.
I think it was on the same day that i read that the Afghan premier had criticised the British military approach in Afghanistan.
southy says...
2:37pm Thu 13 Jan 11
normal then say one thing but do the other.