School repair crisis: Rishi Sunak under fire

The UK Government faces scrutiny for reducing funding for school repairs, sparking an outcry from former officials and public figures. As students return to classrooms, or makeshift settings due to unsafe buildings, Downing Street and Rishi Sunak have questions to answer.

T he return to school is supposed to be a time of excitement for pupils and parents alike, but this year, it’s being overshadowed by a crisis that questions the very structures where learning takes place.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under the spotlight as he is being criticised for diminishing the budget for essential school repairs when he was Chancellor and for failing to grasp the gravity of the situation then.

As accusations fly, we dig deep to find out what’s going on.

Sunak’s decision

Early last week, several officials voiced their concerns about the state of school buildings in England. Former Department for Education (DfE) insiders claimed that what started as a request to repair 300 to 400 schools suffering from deteriorating concrete was whittled down to just 50 by Sunak’s Treasury in 2020 and 2021, under Boris Johnson’s government. drastically cutting back on the DfE’s efforts to repair or replace schools.