Economy class

The roof falls in at the education department and a report shows universities’ economic impact

The government’s response to the condition of the educational estate goes from Raac to ruin. Yesterday saw a comms strategy that will be taught on degree courses as an example of what not to do.

It started with Jonathan Slater, former permanent secretary to the Department for Education, making an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme to tell early morning listeners that during the last Comprehensive Spending Review, the department had requested a budget for a rolling programme of repairs for 300 to 400 schools a year. The Treasury subsequently approved funding for 100 schools annually before cutting that number back to 50.