Still channel opportunity despite BSF axe

UK schools urgently need details of the emergency government funding available to prop up their ailing IT systems and buildings, following the scrapping of the BSF scheme.

This is according to leasing firm Syscap, which claims that headteachers and bursars of schools that have had major refurbishment schemes cancelled, will want to start work immediately on their plans for urgent repairs to buildings and IT infrastructure.

Philip White, chief executive of Syscap, said the emergency funding details should be published before the end of the academic year at the latest.

"These school buildings that were expected to be replaced in just a few years are now going to have to have to be kept fit for purpose for the foreseeable future. That means that the repair and maintenance plans will have to be totally overhauled - incurring large costs that were not previously budgeted for," he said. "The longer these repair and maintenance programmes are delayed the more expensive they will become. Disappointment amongst those who work at schools is very high. I think it would be very bad for morale if schools were not told of the size of the first instalment of emergency funding before they broke up for holidays."

I hope for the channel's sake that this list is published soon too - so hopefully all those firms that have lost out due to the BSF cull - can at least recoup some money back.