Sustainable schools

ePolitix.com Stakeholders comment on the Commons education and skills committee report on sustainable schools.

In a report published on Thursday, the MPs said that the £45bn 'Building schools for the future' (BSF) scheme provided the opportunity to ensure that new buildings are designed to help children learn.

 

Stakeholder Response: Association of Teachers and Lecturers

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ATL general secretary, Dr Mary Bousted said:  "Under the government's BSF programme too few schools are involved early enough in the design of the school buildings they use.  

"School design should be more bottom-up, with the government making sure pupils and teachers are given a greater say. 

"The government also needs to give more thought to what a 21st century school should be like – with facilities for extended schooling, community use, and eco-friendly.

"ATL shares the committee's concerns about the use of the private finance initiative in the BSF programme. 

"We urge the government to think again about using PFI to fund school buildings because of the substantial ongoing costs associated with this method of funding and because schools inevitably loose control of their premises.

"Without control of their premises it is difficult for schools to become greener and take their environmental responsibilities seriously.

"A good place for the government to start would be to take on board the committee's proposal and ensure all new schools are carbon neutral."

Stakeholder Response: Play England

To send a comment to Play England, click here

This huge investment in school buildings and school grounds is an opportunity to re-think the crucial role that schools play in the lives of children and communities.

With the growing understanding about the importance of play in children's lives and how it supports their learning, health and development, the BSF programme should include in its main objectives, the aim of ensuring that all schools have well-designed playable space.

This will complement  the more formal learning environments, but also provide the most child friendly, welcoming environments from which to offer high quality extended services, including supervised play provision.