Prime Minister Questions..........

[IanT]

I watched this yesterday as I always do!.................a question came up about following through with BSF...........David Cameron has said they PLAN to follow the BSF through and that the education money is protected.

Interesting.

Also on bbc site today
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/10217450.stm

[jsnetman]

Not sure but I think his answer may refer to schools who have reached financial closure.

[tech_guy]

Yes, I think it refers to schools where the commitment has been made. I don't believe there will be any new BSF projects implemented.

[jsnetman]

Just watched it on Iplayer and he did not specifically say BSF would stay he said he supported building new schools but I suspect in the guise of acadamies and free schools.

It's always very difficult to actually get a straight answer from a politician on whatever side of the fence.

[ROBOCOP]

I think the Tories have slagged off BSF so much that they cannot do anything else but scrap it however I suspect they will just re-introduce PFIs (which after all they invented) to finance all the new Academies which they want.

At least PFIs don't generally include ICT or getting the private sector embroiled in delivering education which BSF did.

[torledo]

I watched this yesterday as I always do!.................a question came up about following through with BSF...........David Cameron has said they PLAN to follow the BSF through and that the education money is protected.

Interesting.

Also on bbc site today
BBC News - More than 1,000 schools want to be academies

what's interesting ?

that maybe you've gotten the wrong end of the stick ?

agreed.

[u8dmtm]

At least PFIs don't generally include ICT or getting the private sector embroiled in delivering education which BSF did.

This is not neccesarily a good or logical thing. Let's not forget that, like it or not, private sector involvement in ICT is more dynamic and reliable due to the presures of competition and stringent SLAs and transfering or halting the addition of onsite ICT staff onto the public sector payroll helps to take pressure off the public sector pension schemes and payroll. Meanwhile, the bit that traditional PFI does, i.e. building a shiny new school is the expensive bit and arguably the bit of BSF which is most ripe for dropping given the questionable returns.

For the above reasons I think the new government would be wise to look to widely increase the level of private sector involvement in things like school ICT design and managed services whilst opting for refurbishments as opposed to shiny new buildings.

[ROBOCOP]

Let's not forget that, like it or not, private sector involvement in ICT is more dynamic and reliable due to the presures of competition and stringent SLAs and transfering or halting the addition of onsite ICT staff onto the public sector payroll helps to take pressure off the public sector pension schemes and payroll.

For the above reasons I think the new government would be wise to look to widely increase the level of private sector involvement in things like school ICT design and managed services.

Hmm, I don't think everyone here will agree with your opinion.

[u8dmtm]

No doubt, but the huge variation in costs, standards, accountability and quality of the current organic approaches needs to be addressed and will ensure predictable costs, standards, accountability and quality.