Spending on school buildings could be slashed by up to £1.5billion a year by the end of the next Parliament, according to figures buried in the Autumn Statement.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveiled plans for a deep squeeze on public services, paving the way for a period of renewed austerity after the next election. Mr Hunt did not spell out where the axe would fall after 2024-25 but a dossier published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) reveals a £6.7billion (6.9%) cut in capital spending over the next five years.
Analysis suggests this would mean a £1.5billion a year (21.5%) cut in capital spending for school building, repair and maintenance by 2028/9. The Treasury argues total departmental spending will be £85billion higher by the end of next Parliament, compared to 2019.
But the OBR stubbornly high inflation will erode the value of departmental spending by £19.1billion by 2027/28 compared to March forecasts. It comes after the discovery of dodgy concrete in 214 English schools triggered massive disruption, with thousands of pupils forced out of their classrooms due to urgent repairs.
The Department for Education said commitments to funding mitigations for schools affected by collapse-prone Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) remain unchanged.
MPs recently found that 700,000 pupils were learning in schools in need of major rebuilding or refurbishment. The report by the Public Accounts Committee warned the rate of rebuilding was slower than promised - and the deterioration of school buildings was having a worrying impact on children’s learning. It also lambasted education chiefs for failing to provide a full picture on both the extent of RAAC in schools and also the risks of asbestos.
Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “This Government has allowed schools to crumble. Funding for school buildings has not matched what has been needed for years and as a result schools up and down the country are falling apart and not fit for purpose. The forecasted real terms cut is a hammer blow to the sector.
“700,000 pupils are already learning in a school that requires major rebuilding or refurbishment. Schools where props to hold up the roof, tarpaulins to keep out the rain and no go areas because of potential danger are now the norm.
"Without additional funding this number will continue to rise. The 85% of schools who have asked for money to help maintain or repair their school since 2016 will be devastated that there is no help on the horizon."
A DfE spokesperson said: “Our Schools Rebuilding Programme is transforming 500 schools over the next decade with the first 400 projects selected ahead of schedule. In the 2021 spending review, the Government allocated over £19 billion of capital funding to support the education sector between 2022-23 and 2024-25. The Education Secretary has already confirmed we will fully fund the removal of RAAC from our schools – either through grant funding or through the school rebuilding programme.
“Successive Governments since the 1990s have failed to take action to address RAAC. This Government has taken the long-term decisions to ensure every school is safe in school - and this Government is taking more proactive action than any other government in the UK, or indeed around the world.