Yahoo News North Tyneside school one of many across country 'slipping into disrepair' due to lack of funding
A North Tyneside head teacher has said that it is unfair to expect children to learn in damp and mouldy classrooms after a new report revealed schools are falling into disrepair because of a lack of funds.
Spring Gardens Primary School in North Shields is close to its 100th anniversary, but head teacher Tim Jones claims it has been "slowly slipping into disrepair" over the last 14 years; with one picture showing black mould on a classroom carpet. Mr Jones is one of the roughly 80% of school leaders across the UK who have said they lack the funding needed to maintain their school buildings.
The report, carried out by school leaders union NAHT, found that classrooms, playgrounds and toilets are not being maintained due to a lack of funds. Head teachers told of struggling to deliver a 21st century education in outdated buildings, with only one in 20 feeling they had enough money to ensure buildings met pupils' needs.
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Almost two in five said they had to raise funds to cover estate management and buildings. Some of those surveyed, including Mr Jones, said they were forced to use classrooms that are damp and mouldy, with some areas of schools out of bounds because they were not safe enough.
Tim Jones, head teacher of Spring Gardens Primary School in North Shields, said: "Over the last 14 years, our school, which is approaching its 100th birthday, has slowly been slipping into disrepair as funding for buildings has been cut – we are struggling to cover the cost of basic repairs. It’s simply unfair to expect kids to learn, and feel inspired, in classrooms that are damp and mouldy."
The NAHT said capital investment in school buildings has been cut by 50% in real terms since 2010, when many buildings are reaching the end of their life cycle. The union called for urgent Government investment in school estates, saying an additional £4.4 billion a year was needed to upgrade school buildings.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said: "The crisis of capital investment in our schools has been brewing for 14 years, and it is now clear for all to see. In the last year, while the Raac crisis has grabbed headlines, hundreds more school buildings have quietly slipped further into disrepair.
"Our children deserve to learn in safe, comfortable conditions. With a general election on the horizon, I urge all political parties to commit to a long-term plan backed up by serious new investment to ensure all school buildings are safe and fit for purpose."
A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Schools and sixth form colleges will benefit from £1.8 billion this financial year to help maintain their buildings, taking the total amount of funding to over £17 billion since 2015, and our school rebuilding programme is transforming buildings at over 500 schools over the next decade. It is up to responsible bodies such as local authorities and trusts to make their own decisions on investment in their schools each year.
"We offer additional emergency support on a case-by-case basis to schools which face significant issues that could risk building closures – and in just a matter of months we have completed our identification programme and confirmed how we will fund removal of Raac from our schools and colleges for good."
