Industry News
Majority of academies 'have overspent'
Posted on 18th October 2007
Most of the government's first wave of academies have massively overspent, a government watchdog has reported.
The chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts Edward Leigh said costs have not been kept under control for the schools, which run independently of their local authority, and that 17 of the first 26 overspent by more than £3 million.
He added there is "no certainty" about what it will cost to run the new buildings long term, information which he described as "essential" to successfully budget funding.
Martin Freedman, an Association of Teachers and Lecturers union spokesperson said: "Academies are expensive, unproven, unaccountable and distort education provision."
Earlier this month, schools minister Lord Adonis called on more independent schools to become academies or academy sponsors, pledging to scrap the £2 million minimum sponsorship when a successful private school offered its expertise.
Birkenhead MP Frank Field said he welcomed any move which blurred the boundaries between state and private sector, claiming a "sharp division" between the two had caused detriment to many children.
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