Labour’s Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and the Schools Minister, Jim Knight, are visiting Swindon to open a new secondary school and celebrate the transformation underway in schools across the country as a result of Labour’s investment in education.

From 2008 to 2011, Labour will be investing over £20 billion in new school buildings and facilities - a seven fold increase in real terms since 1996-97. This includes over £9 billion for the ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme which will see every secondary school rebuilt or refurbished and almost £2 billion for Labour’s programme to rebuild or refurbish half of all primary schools in the coming years.

Labour’s investment since 1997 has seen:

* over 1,100 new or rebuilt schools
* 27,000 new and improved classrooms
* Improved science labs
* Improved sports facilities
* Improved buildings and ICT

Labour’s Schools Minister Jim Knight said:

“Ten years ago classrooms were in a terrible state. That's been transformed by the biggest ever investment in new buildings, computers and sports facilities. But there is still more to do to get the very best facilities in all our schools and replace old buildings that are no longer fit for the job.

“At this challenging time for our economy, it’s vital that we sustain our investment in public services. This huge capital investment in schools over the coming months and years will not only improve the education of our children, but help to support jobs in the construction industry and local businesses who will be crucial to fitting out the new and refurbished schools.

“But instead of supporting Labour’s investment at this critical time for the economy, David Cameron’s Tories actually want to cut it. They have already pledged to slash £4.5 billion from our secondary school rebuilding programme, which would mean cancelling hundreds of school rebuilding projects across the country. And now they are also opposing our plan to bring forward investment in school buildings to support the economy. It’s time the Tories came clean on where the cuts would fall.”