State of Schools in England: Good Education Has Become A Dream

The state of schools in England has become a warning for the Government and is in dire need of investigation. The National Audit Office (NAO) reported that the overall condition of schools in England will worsen. Government underinvestment has a devastating effect on schools regarding their physical conditions and their staff/teachers.

More than 1.5 million children are studying in dilapidated school buildings. There is also a worrying trend of pupil absenteeism. Due to the workforce crisis, thousands more children’s education is at risk of reaching a crisis point.

State of schools in England: Warning for the UK

The state of schools in England has become a warning for the Government and needs investigation. According to the National Audit Office (NAO), around 700,000 pupils are in danger due to poor school conditions in England. There are 21,600 state schools in England, educating 8.4 million students. There are 64,000 buildings across the schools, varying in age and design. The National Audit Office says the condition of schools in England is declining, and many buildings have safety concerns.

The Department for Education (DfE) is responsible for the condition of schools in England. It is in charge of policy, statutory framework, and accountability for securing value for the money needed to fund state schools. However, the DfE does not provide enough budget to improve schools.

State of schools in England: School conditions Keep Declining

In 2017, NAO reported the quality of the county’s worst school buildings was slowly improving. However, they also found the overall condition of schools in England is expected to worsen.

After many years of underfunding, the condition of schools in England has deteriorated. The worsened conditions are to the point where approximately 700,000 students attend schools that DfE considers to require major rebuilding or refurbishment. The DfE has acknowledged substantial safety concerns throughout English schools and has raised these issues to the government risk register.

State of Schools in England: Children Deserve Education

The state of schools in England has deprived children of a good education. Dr Gavin Morgan said: “Far too many children have returned to school this term without the additional educational support they need in the classroom. It’s devastating that thousands of children are still waiting for a suitable school place at the start of the school year. Every child deserves access to a high-quality education. However, the system inherited by the Government is failing thousands of children who need additional help. “It is unacceptable that timely access to an educational psychologist is a postcode lottery.”

Lost Generation: A Frustrating Crisis  

Many local authorities are facing bankruptcy as the Government is criticized for its lack of urgency. The crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (Send) in England risks creating a “lost generation” of children. Parliament’s spending watchdog has warned that “almost half” of all councils with an education responsibility are in danger of bankruptcy within 15 months.

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) expressed frustration with the Government’s lack of progress in resolving the crisis. Moreover, they complained their inquiry had found “no sense of urgency” among officials. The UK is failing countless children. Every day that goes by for families not receiving the proper support is another day closer to a lost generation of young people.

Homeless Schools:

A Guardian study shows that underinvestment has led to crumbling infrastructure in schools, hospitals, and courts. ‘Our school has been homeless for two years.’ More than 1.5 million children are studying in dilapidated school buildings. Furthermore, the Guardian investigation found that years of underinvestment will crumble England’s public infrastructure.

A study of public sector building conditions, including hospitals, schools, and courts, has found thousands need urgent repair. In many cases, the conditions are so bad that they endanger the lives of those who visit and work in them. One school in Cumbria had to be evacuated because inspectors found the floor could collapse at any moment. The Guardian found masking tape holding windows in place and mud seeping through the floor.

Pupils and Educational Attainment

Of course, it is not possible to discuss the challenges facing the education sector in 2024 without addressing student attainment. Attainment levels for primary schools are still below pre-pandemic levels, particularly in core subjects such as Math and English.

Then, there is a worrying trend of pupil absenteeism, with an overall absence rate of 7.3% in the autumn and spring of 2022/23. 21.2% of persistent absentees are missing more than 10% of classes. Ofsted’s Chief Inspector warned that the “unwritten agreement” between parents and schools has broken since the pandemic. Essentially, it has become customary for parents to take children out of school and not to worry about doing so.

Children are in need, and educational psychologists are tired:

The state of schools in England also includes the conditions of their staff. Thousands more children’s education is at risk of reaching crisis point due to the workforce crisis. Just over half of all educational psychologists say they cannot support children and young people with their current workload.

Thousands of children who require vital support in school in England could soon face even longer delays for help. It is due to a shortage of educational psychologists, according to the the British Psychological Society (BPS). They feel unable to support children and young individuals with their present workload. It signals the devastating impact of years of underinvestment in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)  system despite unprecedented demand.

Child Poverty: Everyone Loses Out

Schools are also facing a tidal wave of other challenges. Some of them are funding pressures leading to major staff cuts, rising costs, old and failing buildings and severe underfunding for pupils with special educational needs. The state of schools in England with such challenges makes everyone lose out.

Schools are trying to solve the problems without the resources. However, school staff are adamant that while child poverty continues to rip through the education system, everyone loses out. Teachers and support staff are calling on the Government to take action on affordable school uniforms, food vouchers during school holidays, and a dedicated technology budget to address the digital divide. High-quality early education and childcare make a vital difference in early learning and benefit the UK’s poorest children the most.