Labour is an enthusiastic supporter of the Public Finance Initiative (PFI). It argues that that PFI is a quick and effective way of providing transport, health facilities and schooling to under-resourced areas and is better and less costly than state provision. Now from all over the country reports are coming in of shoddy, late and over-priced PFI construction work One recent example is Haverstock Secondary School in Camden where the start of term was delayed by three weeks because the private development company failed to complete the new buildings on time. Japanese contractors Kajima blamed a challenging construction timetable and bad weather for the delay in its £21 million contract. Similar delays have held up PFI work on the borough’s Swiss Cottage swimming baths and sports facilities which have been closed all over the summer. Camden councillors are ‘disappointed’ and ‘frustrated’ because they were given repeated assurance by Kajima that the project would be completed on schedule and say that Kajima face escalating financial penalties. Camden should wait till they are billed for the final debt!
Tomlinson to the rescue
The result of opening up schools to privatisation is an awful mess with accusations of cheating and lowered qualifications as the rate of excellent exam results rises. Inevitably another ‘reform’ was announced following the revelation that one exam board gave A grades at A level for 45% marks. But the real scandal is the continuing 25% of pupils who leave school with few, if any, academic qualifications, a close correlation to the number of children who live in poverty. This quarter of all school pupils, concentrated in some poor areas up to 70% of the age group, who are alienated from school and make little or no effort to pass exams are targeted by the Tomlinson Report on education for 14-19-year-olds. The report argues for practical, work-based activities, ending the very British problem of the distinction between academic and vocational education. All students should have a mixture of vocational, basic skills and academic courses the Tomlinson Report suggests, until the parting of the ways at A level. So building studies, hair and beauty, child-care and sports should be available to all from the age of 14, although we know that the private schools and permitted specialist schools are not and never have been tied to this or any national curriculum.
Susan Davidson
