Camden schoolchildren protest against building cuts

Schoolchildren from Camden this week joined a lobby at the Houses of Parliament protesting against cuts to the Building Schools for the Future programme announced by Education Secretary Michael Gove.

With 13 schools' building programmes cancelled, Camden is one of the worst-hit boroughs in the UK. Schools in neighbouring Islington and Haringey will be unaffected by Mr Gove's announcement, as building work in these boroughs is either contracted or already complete.

Speaking last week at the unveiling of one such rebuilt school, Holloway School on Hilldrop Road in Islington, Labour peer and Tufnell Park resident Lord Kinnock raised concerns about the future cost.  “The stupidity of the funding cut in Camden is that

the work will have to be done in 10, 12 or 30 years’ time, when it will

be much more expensive," he said.

MP for Holborn and St Pancras Frank Dobson said at the rally, " “I can tell you there is no such thing as a free

lunch, and there’s no such thing as a free school either. Someone has

to pay the price for free schools and that is going to be the children

of Camden."

"The coalition government has no mandate for this slash and

burn policy,” he added,  Some opposition MPs are concerned that the BSF money will be diverted to Gove's "free schools" programme instead.

Camden councillors are now working to ensure that BSF schemes that have not been cancelled will be confirmed and carried out.

Is your school affected by the BSF cuts? Let us know below.