Always thought something like this might happen, the schools were only built to last 25 years as it’s cheaper to knockdown a building and rebuild than it is to renovate it. Even if they had built the schools to last 100 years the full heating system, electric installation, fixtures and fittings would be at the end of their life after 25 years.
I think it all stems from when labour came to power under Blair, they inherited a badly neglected and underfunded school infrastructure (not to mention all the other neglected underfunded state ran facilities but that’s for another moan).
I left school in 94 and we were being taught in cold damp cabins which were meant to only be a stop gap for a couple years but were 10 – 15 years old and it seems other schools were in the same state at the time.
Schools round where I live that were built under the pfi scheme are fantastically equipped with top sports facilites (swimming pools, indoor sports halls etc), drama facilities with beautiful stages and even recording studios.
I worked in a few a couple of years ago and was impressed with the setup kids now have.
The affected schools will be patched up and made safe and after the 25 year lease is up (which some schools will only be in about 15 years) they will be replaced with another new one.
But I agree that if they are not safe then heads should roll, alas I feel this won’t happen as its been a while since some were built and some contracting companies involved have gone bump, plus staff retiring/leaving the industry and it takes quite a few people to design, approve and build a modern school so lots of wriggle room for all involved.