Rydra Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 Heard something on the radio this morning about it, but not seen/heard anything else about it and missed the main report on it. Anyone got a reliable news link about it? In a meeting I had this morning, they announced the axeing of the Harnessing Technology money, but no effect on school budgets themselves; they cuts would come from LEA end, on such things as VLE's.
daedalus Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 Radio 4 mentioned that there would be an announcement in the Commons today at 3pm about the future of BSF. Link below is from the BBC website today, but nothing much new there. http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/10490838.stm 1
LosOjos Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 We've just been told that BSF is safe in our area and that the planned building work here will go ahead. I'm not sure how they can cut it in some areas and not others though, not without causing a massive backlash of protest anyway...
Rydra Posted July 5, 2010 Author Posted July 5, 2010 simple. you remove the money that was going to pay for it. Anyone who complains too loudly will be pointed towards the big 0 in the wallet, ending all conversation. I want a pay rise and an office to work in, but I suspect the school's budget doesn't extend that far, no matter how much I moan I want/need it.
LosOjos Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 simple. you remove the money that was going to pay for it. Anyone who complains too loudly will be pointed towards the big 0 in the wallet, ending all conversation. I want a pay rise and an office to work in, but I suspect the school's budget doesn't extend that far, no matter how much I moan I want/need it. I understand that and I understand why it's being cut, what I mean is I would have thought that if BSF was being axed, then it would be axed, full stop, not "BSF is being axed in x LA but not y". Basically I feel like our SLT might be being a bit too confident in us keeping the money...
CAM Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 @Daedalus: Thanks for that heads up. I was going to post this in news but I'll wait for them to do the announcement.
siuko Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 I think its much more likely.... any BSF projects that have gone far enough with contractors that if the contract is cancelled the government will have to pay compensation will carry on.... Anything before that will be cancelled and which hasnt had £millions in consultant fees wasted on them. I hope its all cancelled, thought out properly, so it doesnt waste huge quantities of money then started up again much more sensibly... if a government can manage that haha
Dos_Box Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 I understand that and I understand why it's being cut, what I mean is I would have thought that if BSF was being axed, then it would be axed, full stop, not "BSF is being axed in x LA but not y". Basically I feel like our SLT might be being a bit too confident in us keeping the money... The easiest way to put it is that current BSF projects where the paperwork has been signed will go ahead. However, BSF as a whole has been made the least desirable of 3 options. Academies, free schools and BSF. Edited to add: Mind you, they could cut BSF all togetehr this afternoon with this announcement.
AngryITGuy Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 I belive this topic is already being discussed Building Schools for the Future plans to be scrapped Plenty of information and links to news sites although nothing official has been announced yet!
Rydra Posted July 5, 2010 Author Posted July 5, 2010 I see it as unlikely to axe it completely. Several schools in my area are literally partially dismantled and under construction/demolition. Others were due to start in a matter of a few weeks, with some of their support staff already Tupee'd across to the new companies. To axe it now would leave schools partially built/demolished, with support staff not employed, and facing unemployment as the money to pay them gets recalled. As described, it is more than likely that any that have no actually signed a deal, or at least started physical work will be axed. Even contracts signed can be pulled by the government, as it's cheaper to blow £1m on consultant fee's and right them off, than it is to pump a few hundred million/ few billion into a project.
Dos_Box Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 Yes, but we are also covering the budget cut, not just the BSF side.
Rydra Posted July 5, 2010 Author Posted July 5, 2010 I would be interested to know other's thoughts on the difference in cost between in-house technicians and external support companies. The advantages to inhouse, is you have support on site when you need it, not 1-2 hours phonecall/drive away or part time. It's also, frequently cheaper for day to do jobs and general upkeep of the network. The downside, is often a lack of experience/qualifications of those who do it (For example, I do not have the ability/knowhow to reconfigure all the switches and managed Wireless devices in the school, I simply have no experience of doing it), where for those trickier or larger jobs, you can pay the company the same amount, and get a team on site whereas before you had just the technician. Something that was discussed in my area, was for the inhouse technicians we already have, to pool resources occasionally. EG, if I'm to do a full network rebuild over a holiday period, I would get another technician from the school down the road, in return when they need assistance with their network in a few months time, I return the favour. So we get the benefits of both without many of the pitfalls.
Dos_Box Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 The downside, is often a lack of experience/qualifications of those who do it (For example, I do not have the ability/knowhow to reconfigure all the switches and managed Wireless devices in the school, I simply have no experience of doing it), where for those trickier or larger jobs, you can pay the company the same amount, and get a team on site whereas before you had just the technician. That's why you RTFM and learn, there is no other way. Do not assume external contractpors or support companies will be any more or less competant than yourself. I have sat several times in meetings with external support providers and about 2/3 of the way through the discussion have popped the question 'So how are you going to achieve x,y or z?' only to be told 'We don't know, we are going to have to do some reaseach first'. Roughtly translated it means they are going to have to teach themselves how to do it. Then charge you as well. If you don't know how to do something then learn. There is no excuse to not being able to learn or look up a solution to a problem and implement it. s regards netwrok hardware, most people here (me included) will always read the manual first to ensure that we know how to set them up and keep it on hand to carry out more complex tasks later. There valid reasons for getting external contractors, but in my book it is for initial installations and fitting, especially when involving the adding of new cables\mains electricty etc, but once in situ, unless it comes with a maintenance contract or 'hands off' agreement then you should be looking after it in house.
Maz Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/05_07_2010_schoolbuilding.pdf Thought it was worth posting. Luckily our area has been stopped, woohoo. Thoughts go out to all of you who aren't so lucky
LosOjos Posted July 6, 2010 Posted July 6, 2010 OK, I take it back, Sandwell weren't affected, sorry for those that have been
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