As Mark Twain said, a lie can travel half way round the world while the truth is still putting its boots on. I thought I'd take this opportunity to correct five of the lies told about Free Schools.
Not true. The money saved from cutting the BSF programme will not be placed at the disposal of the Department for Education for Michael Gove to spend how he likes, i.e., on Free Schools. How could it? The money doesn't exist. Cutting expenditure in any government department does not magically create a huge pile of treasure that can then be used for other purposes. Rather, it means that the government will not have to raise that money by increasing its borrowing requirement. So far, a grand total of £50 million has been set aside for capital expenditure on Free Schools -- which, under BSF, would pay for a single, solitary school. Michael Gove cobbled that together from re-allocating funds that had been earmarked for advising schools on what computers they should buy. Happily, they can use cnet instead. (To read more, click here.)
Re: Five myths about Free Schools
Posted by Peter Galloway RIBA on 16-07-2010 13:15:
It should be possible to build a schol for 750 pupils as follows:
24 classrooms 7.2m x 8.4m = 1450m2
Storage = 150m2
Staff Areas = 200m2+
Library/Resource Area(s) = 600m2
Dining/Refectory = 600m2
(Sports Hall and changing = 600m2 - LATER)
Circulation = 400m2
TOTAL AREA = 3400m2 @ 1350m2 = £4.6m
PLUS LAND AND FURNITURE+IT
We have designed many award winning schools since Hampshire CC in the '80s and now in private practice.
Peter Galloway - PGP Architects 02392 472650 (Hampshire)
Interesting proposal from @PCollinsTimes: Govt should fund a £15b stimulus by imposing an addition £15b of cuts link (££) (1 hour ago)
