PUPILS in some Gwent schools are being educated in cramped builings, some with damp, concrete cancer and inadequate play or sports facilities.

ANDY DOYLE and JANE HELMICH report.

GWENT councils are facing a massive maintenance backlog bill for schools across the region totalling more than £200 million.

And over the last year most authorities have just scratched the surface of this backlog.

It needs to be addressed to bring schools up to the National Assembly's "fit for purpose" guidelines by the required time of 2010.

LEAs are struggling to cover the growing cost of repairing and replacing crumbling infrastructures, ageing buildings, cramped classrooms and a lack of play areas.

In Newport, plans to replace three secondary schools - all in desperate need of new accommodation - are well in hand.

Bettws will be the first to get a £18m new build followed by Hartridge. Both currently are housed in buildings in poor condition and badly designed.

Duffryn also needs a new school which is due to built after the others are completed.

Head of Hartridge School in Newport Goff Davies, said the fault did not lie with the councils.

His school is due to be replaced by a £33 million new school.

"It's a national problem - not just a local one," he said.

"In England the government is making an undertaking to replace all secondary schools by 2010, but there doesn't seem to be any kind of clear strategy in Wales.

"Newport council does brilliantly with what it has but we need to ask why the Assembly isn't drawing up a national plan."

In December we reported how council bosses in Blaenau Gwent faced a £40 million maintenance backlog.

The council has identified £3.3 million worth of top priority works for the coming year but bosses say they are confident the backlog can be substantially cleared by 2012.

  • In Newport, where figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal the backlog is at least £57,738,695 - but that is at 2002 rates.

A Newport council spokesman said the figures were due to be updated in the 2008 / 09 financial year to reflect building changes and maintenance cost inflation, which means the figure could be even higher.

The total budget available for maintenance and general school improvements in 2007/8 in Newport was just over £2 million.

  • Torfaen council's maintenance backlog is over £26.16 million.

Of it's 44 school sites, 14 are classed as "poor" and "unsuitable" and needing major works.

Over 2007/8 £222,000 is available for maintenance.

  • In Caerphilly £70 million needs to be spent to bring schools up to scratch and a schedule of priority works totalling £2.5million has been drawn up for 2008/9.

Head of Waunfawr in Crosskeys, Paul Fowler, said cramped conditions in the school's Victorian building meant it was "not fit for purpose".

"We're talking about lack of storage and cramped, out-dated facilities," he said.

  • Monmouthshire council fares the best with a total backlog of £7.5 million.

It is already well into a major schools re-organisation programme which included the merger of five primary schools to be replaced by two schools ? Deri View and a completely refurbished Harold Road primary school.