By Vivienne Russell | 16 September 2013
The National Union of Teachers has launched a campaign highlighting what it calls the ‘crisis’ in school place provision and calling for local government to be given powers to open new schools.
According to the NUT, London is heading towards a ‘full scale crisis’ in education provisions unless action is taken. It says that, by 2016, some London boroughs could see a shortfall in places of up to 40%.
The union blames both the government’s free schools policy and a lack of local authority involvement in school planning as responsible for the shortage of places.
NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: ‘We need to see an end to this totally chaotic approach to education provision and return to policies which work for all children and young people. [Education Secretary] Michael Gove has created this crisis and it is high time that he put school place planning back in safe hands. Local authorities know best where and when places are needed in their communities. They need the power to open new schools.
‘Failure to do so by the secretary of state will result in huge upset and confusion for many families. He will also seriously threaten the right of every child to an education.’
The School Places Crisis campaign, launched at the Liberal Democrat annual conference in Glasgow, calls on the government to ensure that the extra places needed are quality places. It warns against cramming more children into already crowded classrooms.
The union has also written to all MPs asking them whether they support the campaign.
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: 'We are spending £1.6bn by 2015 on creating new school places in London - more than double the amount spent by the previous government in the same timeframe. Since 2010, around 60,000 extra primary places have been created in London, with many more to come.
'Around 40% of funding for new school places across the country has been allocated to London, and we are working closely with councils to ensure that money is targeted where it is needed most.
'Almost half of the 102 free schools announced earlier this year are based in London, meaning almost 20,000 primary school places at free schools across the capital are being offered from 2013 onwards.'
