The story of post-war school building.

  • Great Britain. Ministry of Education.
Date:
1957
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The story of post-war school building. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    134. Secondly, we can point to the ways in which the cost per square foot of school building has been held in check. Diagram 4 shows the actual costs per square foot today of primary and secondary schools (about 72s. and 70s. respectively) compared with what they might have been had they followed the general trend of building costs (over 90s.). Diagram 5. AVERAGE COST PER PLACE AT ACTUAL PRICES In 1949 the actual average cost of a school place was: If we had not counteracted the rise in building costs, the same school place in subsequent years would have cost: But in 1955 the actual average cost of a school place was: UZZLLLZLLLLE LLL LLLLLLLLLLE Thus the Ratepayer and Taxpayer today are actually paying about 20 per cent less for each school place than in 1949; Whereas if nothing had been done to reduce areas and check rising costs they would be paying 100 per cent more today than they are actually paying. 135. Thirdly, the reductions in area per place and the economies in cost per square foot have made it possible first to reduce and then to maintain cost per place at figures below those of 1949, Diagram 5 shows that the average cost per place in 1949 was £195 and £320 for primary and secondary schools respectively. Had no economies in area and cost per square foot been made these figures would have risen in line with building costs generally to about £296 and £490. But, as the diagram shows, the actual costs per place today are still below the current limits of £154 and £264. They are thus actually less than in 1949.