More councils join building programme

23/06/2008

An additional eight local authorities will be fast-tracked into joining the government's school building programme.

Each will then be able to rebuild and refurbish the five secondary schools in their area most in need of improvement.

"This is outstanding news for children, parents, teachers in these communities, " said schools minister, Jim Knight.

"It is right to give the go-ahead to projects which are ready to start so local authorities can target the schools that need it most."

As part of the Building Schools for the Future, the authorities who received the good news were Enfield, Hounslow, North Tyneside, Rotherham, Southampton, Staffordshire, Walsall and Worcestershire.

The announcement is good news for the building industry, which is currently struggling to keep up with the government's need to build thousands of new homes by 2010.

Mr Knight claimed the project would "transform the shape of education in every single community and future generations will reap the rewards of these fantastic new learning environments and facilities."

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