MPs fear economic downturn could hit schools

LONDON (Reuters) - Politicians have warned that education and children's services could be one of the next victims of the economic downturn.

A report from parliament's Children, Schools and Families Committee published on Wednesday said education authorities needed to plan for a much more austere future and warned a national school-building programme could be cut back.

"To avoid doubt, the Department (for Children, Schools and Families') should make a clear statement about the programme's future," the Committee said.

The "Building Schools for the Future" programme aims to rebuild or renew nearly every secondary school in England, funding by government and private sector investment.

The committee said private industry might be far less willing to participate in the programme in an economic downturn.

"The concern for the Department is that these serious economic problems could undermine investment in education and related services and could prevent the government from achieving its objectives," it said.

A decade of rising state investment in education was already set to slow but the committee warned that any future increase was likely to be minimal at best.

"Those in charge of schools and children's services more widely need to be planning now for ways of coping with a much more austere future," it said.

Committee chairman Barry Sheerman said the cross-party group was also concerned about a lack of clarity in the presentation of some of department's expenditure figures.

(Reporting by Jodie Ginsberg; Editing by Tim Castle)