So.... the beautiful new school building that we were promised

Agree with Jackstarbright.

Also, the idea that the bank bailout has created a huge hole in public finances is wrong. There was a big hole long before the bank bailout was needed. The last government spent more than its income every year since 2001. Throughout this period, Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling's budgets said they would run a deficit, so this was clearly deliberate policy. Alistair Darling's budget for 2010/11 showed that we would still be spending £3.90 for every £3 income. That is why there is a problem.

If Gordon Brown had genuinely abolished the laws of economics so that there would be no more recessions as he claimed, this might have been sustainable. However, any sensible government runs a surplus when the economy is growing so that it can then cope with the problems when there is a recession.

'...no reform in the banking sector'

Well Osborne has announce a Bank Levy worth £2bn pa. And there was also Darling's bonus tax (which raised £3bn or so). And his 50% tax rate which reduces top bankers take home pay.

Of course, true banking reform is not just about raising money- but about minimising the impact of future failures in the banking industry. To do this properly takes time.

Brown's spending plans made no allowance for the reality of a recession and assumed continous growth, and that's unforgivable.

Economic swings have a negative impact the poorer and most vulnerable in society - a fact Mr (no more boom or bust) Brown was very aware of.

merrymouse: exactly my point.

The banks were bailed out, otherwise they would have failed. This means that the Government put enough money into them to plug the huge hole in their finances. This has now created a hole in public finances.

What I find extraordinary is that there has been no reform of the banking system. For them it is business as usual. It is the state that is changing its behaviour. So of course in the kind of area Bankers live there is indeed plenty of money, but not in public hands...

stresshead eric 1,500 children in a 'learning space' without walls? that's awful!

niondondad, I live in the kind of area where bankers live, and I get the impression that there is still plenty of money in the UK (albeit not in public hands).

On the other hand, apparently there is still money in public hands too, as the local conservative MP has reiterated the opinion of the council that the new school will still go ahead, just not under the BSF initiative.

New government rubbishes old government. Opposition rubbishes incumbents. Plus ca change.

PFI is awful. We're in one. It's completely unfit for purpose, far too small, and clearly designed by people who'd never set foot in a school. PFI means you rent the building off the developer, therefore we have no control over it. Opening it up outside of school hours means paying extra out of school funds. It is built to last 25 years then you hand it back. We've been in 6 months and it's looking very tatty.

We've moved from a quiet suburban street to a busy main road junction as the land was cheap, parents are up in arms.

It was built for 900 presuming a decline in the birth rate. We have 1500 pupils and the claustrophobia is unsettling. There are no walls, no rooms, just 'learning spaces' which leads to disruptive behaviour worse than it ever was before.

We have to ring a helpline base 200 miles away to report a broken door handle, faulty plug socket, the caretakers were made redundant.

Our old 1960s concrete block was ugly...but fir for purpose, functional, spacious, had big sports fields and a swimming pool. Now, we have a tennis court and a 5 a side astroturf pitch, surrounded by tall railings.
I'd go back to the old place like a shot. In fact, I'm actively looking for a new job in a a school that is guarenteed not to be joining the PFI scheme.

I do think that it does need to be said that the reason why there is no money for the Government to spend is that it was spent on bailing out the banks.

So bankers continue to get bonuses. Schools crumble.

I quite liked primary school to be honest (even if the ceiling fell down and the toilets were freezing. We had lunch in a portacabin for years before they moved the kitchen into the hall), I was a straight A student. I di find it a little boring though.
Secondary school was hell. I was in the top class but 75% of them didn't want to be there and didn't behave. It's hard to learn like this.

The millions the olympics cost, we're stuck with it now though.

a more equal education existed when i was younger - it really did

wonder if any of the olympic game site will be used for schools

An equal education has never existed.

I bet there's alot of buildings standing empty that could be used as schools, offices for example.

i even wouldn't mind paying for nhs treatment if i could if it could secure equal or near enough schooling for all children in the uk.

i think maybe the bad feeling is caused by schools desperately needing to be modernised some are literally crumbling. alot of money has been spent already here modernising lots of schools and it's a job that needs to be done to all schools.

I suppose not Orm. What's the worst problem?

Proactive is good!

We have more then a couple of people from the new EU member states, I imagine it's the same all over Europe though. People come, people go. I thought the government were doing something about the peoples wanting to come here? More then what Labour have done. I suppose if the immigrants are paying tax though then this will help the economy.

Exactly, we should be trying to be proactive. It's a rubbish position to be in but I don't think moaning is going to change anything and as it's our DC's education we should do what we can to help.

Go the parents with their paint brushes and pots of dulux!

oh judge from where i live right near london and most primary schools are having a big intake

I think it's a fab idea Tootlesmummy. All you need is the paint, it would cost 10 times as much if people outside did the work. How long will it take? a weekend? It's your children's school, I think parents should be involved. They do this at steiner schools you know.

Sorry but the Labour government couldn't have thought that the bulldozed middle schools were that important, how long were they in power? They could have done something way before now.

There's not and influx of people in all areas, there's people also leaving the UK so it's not as bad as you imagine.

All joking aside a few of us are talking about putting together a plan to do something like this.

It won't make it perfect (lipstick on a pig more like....) but it'll help.

we have so many new immigrants here and they have to be educated somewhere!

it's not just to do with crap buildings but schools that need to be bigger to cope with the influx.

and i'm sorry but why should we make the best of crap schools? they tories bulldozed three perfectly good middle schools here and now they need to put right the mess they ultimately caused.

Well why don't you Tootlesmummy? They asked the parents to help out in ds's school, one does the garden, we all go in and help to clean it, I'd happily go in and paint (cheap and useful)

If there's no money there's no money. It was wreckless and stupid of the old government to make so many promises to people that they knew they wouldn't be able to keep. It's not sensible to crush children into old buildings but remember back to your childhood, I remember having to go to the toilets that were outside the school, I remember my classroom ceiling falling down. This is just how things were, we made the best of it.

I live in an area where they have built a lovely new little primary school which has only been up a year but due to the expansion of the housing estate is already too small so we have been told that DS may not be able to go and will have to go to a crappy little one about 4 miles away and not the one 0.5 mile away.

The one 4 miles away is run down, poor facilities and is not a nice place but at the moment I just have to lump it and I'm not happy. I'm almost tempted to offer to paint it inside myself.