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BUILDINGS FOR EDUCATION
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Modular construction used to be only considered for temporary classrooms, but it can be used equally
effectively to provide high quality permanent classrooms and other educational facilities.
Temporary classrooms are still available, for emergency or short-term use, but the government wants
to replace all temporary classrooms by much more inspiring educational environments. The days when
it was acceptable to erect a 'temporary' classroom in a school playground or car park and leave it
there for many years, whilst generations of children passed through the school, have gone.
Whilst seeking to replace 'temporary' classrooms by more permanent buildings, the government is also
pressing LEAs to adopt greater use of 'pre-fabrication'. As part of the government's ongoing programme
'Rethinking Construction' , the government is seeking to encourage greater use of pre-fabrication , by
linking funding to it. It is even specifically recommending 'modular building
methods'. [Contract Journal DfES reveals four school LIFT pilots 9 April 2003]
"Contractors are being warned to "shape up" their pre-fabrication methods as the
government looks to standardise all future schools construction. A Whitehall insider said: "Talks are
currently taking place between the Department for Education and Skills and the Treasury about linking
any future local education authority funding to the level of pre-fabrication they use." The source added
that education officials have also been holding talks with architects and contractors with pre-fabrication
experience over the feasibility of using 80% -90% standardisation. "The feeling is that the agreed figure
is easily achievable as many of the schools, although different in size, carry similar formats," he said."
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