It’s little wonder that many schools are “crumbling” (Pupils in England sent to churches and village halls as crumbling schools close, 29 June). In the early 2000s, the Labour government required local education authorities (LEAs) to draft capital asset management plans based on detailed surveys of school condition.
Many “crumbling” schools had had temporary additional classrooms built cheaply to house the extra year created by the raising of the school leaving age to 16 in 1972. Large amounts of money were channelled via local authorities, who then repaired and renewed long-neglected school buildings.
Since then, Tories – led by Michael Gove – have dismantled those LEAs in favour of multi-academy trusts (Mats). While Mats reward themselves handsomely, they take no responsibility for the long-term condition of their premises. Once again, local authorities are expected to step into the breach, but without the resources to do so.
Paul Martin
London
• This article was amended on 3 July 2023. An earlier image showed a school in Wales.
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