15 July 2010

Capital investment hunger strike means IT and facilities now risk falling into substandard condition

Details of emergency funds for schools that have had BSF projects scrapped need to be published by the end of this academic year says Syscap, a leading independent finance provider to the education sector.

Syscap says that headteachers and bursars of schools that have had major refurbishment schemes cancelled will want to start work immediately on their plans for urgent repairs to buildings and IT infrastructure.

Syscap explains that many schools have held off capital investment in dilapidated buildings on the basis that they would be replaced or subject to major refurbishment. Quick action is needed to arrest further damage to those schools.

Comments Philip White: “These school buildings that were expected to be replaced in just a few years are now going to have to have to be kept fit for purpose for the foreseeable future. That means that the repair and maintenance plans will have to be totally overhauled - incurring large costs that were not previously budgeted for.”

“The longer these repair and maintenance programmes are delayed the more expensive they will become.”

“Disappointment amongst those who work at schools is very high. I think it would be very bad for morale if schools were not told of the size of the first instalment of emergency funding before they broke up for holidays.”

“Schools are going to want to use the summer holidays to start undertaking repairs so planning needs to start now.”

Syscap explains that they have started to receive enquiries from some schools that have had BSF schemes cancelled to discuss funding for infrastructure and IT investments that are now sorely needed.

Explains Philip White: “We are pretty impressed at how quickly some school management teams have started putting plans in place to help themselves recover from this blow and work out how they can deliver the best possible facilities for their pupils without BSF related funding.

Obviously we are going to help them fund as much of this work as we can – we have the backing of banks that are committed to providing finance to schools. The Government also needs to act and clarify exactly what it will provide in emergency funding.”

“These project cancellations are an enormous blow to schools but they have no intention of allowing that to impact the quality of the education they provide to their pupils.”

“However, they feel they have had the rug pulled out from underneath them and there is the feeling that the Government owes it to them to give some rapid answers on levels of emergency funding.”

See coverage of this press release below:

Randstad

Construction Enquirer