More than 1.5 million children in England are studying in delapidated schools as years of government underfunding leaves public infrastructure in decay.
A new Guardian investigation found that thousands of public sector buildings, including schools, hospitals and courts, are in desperate need of repair.
Some conditions were so bad that they have been said to be the endangering lives of those who visit and work in those buildings.
The investigation revealed that one in six schoolchildren were attending schools that either needed major work or were in relatively poor condition.
Almost half of these were in schools that have already been deemed unsafe or in need of refurbishment by the government.
One school in Cumbria was reportedly evacuated due to concerns from inspectors that the floors could cave in at any moment.
Schools in the Midlands were the worst hit with 30% of educational institutions found to be unsafe ageing or marred with defects.
The investigation, which combined data from several government departments for the first time, has evoked calls for ministers to invest millions of pounds to carry out urgent improvements.
Meanwhile, ministers have condemned the previous Tory government for underfunding Britain’s public buildings.
More than 1.5 million children in England are studying in delapidated schools, a new investigation has revealed
Analysis showed that one in six schoolchildren were attending schools that either needed major work or were in relatively poor condition
A government spokesperson said: ‘We are taking immediate action to remedy the state of disrepair found in our public estate, which has been neglected over the previous years.’
The investigation also suggested that government schemes aimed at fixing the problem have struggled to do so.
For example, the school rebuilding programme, launched in 2022 with a goal of 50 schools a year, had only completed for on 24 schools by the end of September 2024.
Also, NHS England figures revealed that the bill to make its estate fit for purpose had widened from £4.5 billion in 2012 to £13.8 billion last year.
One hospital in Sutton was found to be using maksing tape to hold windows in place, while mud seeped through the floor, according to The Guardian.
Analysis also found that one fifth of 100 prisons in England and Wales it looked into mentioned severe maintenance issues, run down or poor building conditions or inhumane environments for inmates.
Meanwhile, data revealed that only 1% of court buildings in England are considered to be in good condition.
The Guardian’s investigation comes after Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves announced in the October budget that she would change the government’s fiscal rules to borrow more money for capital spending.
