A HEAD teacher from Manchester has expressed his frustration at delays to the government's school refurbishment programme.

In 2004, the government vowed to spend é45bn rebuilding or refurbishing all of Britain's 3,500 secondary schools. But now it has emerged that initial forecasts were `too optimistic'.

Of the 100 schools earmarked for completion this year, only 14 will meet the target. Teachers and pupils from Burnage High School for Boys are scheduled to move in to purpose-built premises in 2010.

Headteacher Ian Fenn said he would be `devastated' if plans to provide his school's 1,040 pupils with new facilities were postponed or scrapped.

He said: "In the latest Ofsted report it has been recognised that we are a good school with some outstanding features, but the report also states that the buildings here are appalling. The roof on the original 1930s building needs to be completely replaced, the 1960s wing has been condemned and in some classrooms many windows need replacing.

'Devastated'

"In 2004, we were told that the government intended to take us out of these premises by 2010.

"The plan is for us to be given purpose-built premises on the same site as Levenshulme High School for Girls. I would be devastated if these plans are either pushed back or scrapped and, while I'm sure that the city council will make sure that we get our new school, I just hope that the government doesn't drag their feet over it."

According to the government's original plans, a further 200 schools were due to be rebuilt or refurbished in 2008, but just 56 are now expected to do so.

A spokesman for the Department for Education said the original dates were `too optimistic' and construction firms carrying out the work had also encountered bureaucratic red tape.

A spokesman for the Department of Education said: "Addressing decades of investment will not happen overnight.

"We were always clear that we would learn from the lessons and get this project right. Every child being taught in world-class facilities in 50 years time will be grateful that we took the time to get this right."

HAS your school been affected by refurbishment delays? Have your say.

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