As chief executive of one of London's largest boroughs there are a great many projects the Council undertakes which give me a sense of pride. But if there's one which really stands out it's the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. There are few things the Council does which will have such a lasting legacy. The decisions we make now will affect the education, lives and career opportunities of future generations, which is why it's so important to get it right. Ealing, like many boroughs, has had an issue for several years with aging schools that are in real need of updating. For the most part there's nothing wrong with the buildings, but many were built long before anyone had even heard of computers, multi-media centres and language labs. I'm sure there are traditionalists who will say you need nothing more than a chalk board and a good teacher, but in an increasingly hi-tech world that view is fast becoming out of date. Our children need modern equipment which will help them in their studies and the kind of educational environment which will inspire, rather than hinder them. There's also an issue with overcrowding. We have an increasing young population and if we don't act quickly more and more schools will have to resort to adding on temporary classrooms. Already dozens of children are being turned into young commuters as they're forced to travel long distances because local schools are full. But the project isn't without its frustrations. The government has said that the funding awarded for BSF cannot be used to purchase land. If we want to build a new school we either have to sacrifice an existing Council site or purchase new land and in London that doesn't come cheap. There's also the quandary of where to put it – everyone wants a local school for their children, but nobody wants it at the end of their road! Nobody wants to see precious green space being built over, but is it better to cram more development on sites which are too small? BSF really is a great opportunity for us to review our school stock. Most local authorities will inevitably have some tough decisions ahead but it's our duty to push to ensure we get the kind of educational facilities young people deserve and that we can be proud of.
