NDCS wins major campaign victory on school acoustics
After months of long campaigning by NDCS and our supporters, the Department for Children, Schools and Families has announced it will take action to improve acoustics in new schools in England.
In a statement published on 16 October 2009, a new package of measures has been announced to ensure school buildings have good acoustics. The Department has also set out its "appreciation to the NDCS for their commitment to breaking down the barriers faced by deaf children" and commits to working in partnership with NDCS going forward.
Thank you
Key to the success to the campaign has been the support from NDCS supporters, with nearly 600 emails or letters being sent to MPs and the Government to demand action. The campaign has also involved:
- A parliamentary event where deaf young people explained the importance of acoustics directly to MPs.
- Collecting evidence via a survey of local authorities showing that only one in five local authorities could confirm that their schools meet government standards on acoustics.
- Support from Baroness Wilkins and a range of MPs who have persistently raised the issue of acoustics through questions and debates in the Houses of Parliament.
- Endorsements from a wide range of other charities and organisations for the campaign.
Ministerial statement
The statement by Vernon Coaker, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, says that acoustic testing will be a contractual requirement for all new secondary schools built under the Building Schools for the Future programme.
Moreover, local authorities will not be able to get funding for future schools unless they can prove that schools recently built have also passed an acoustics test.
NDCS has been lobbying for a change to the law for acoustic testing to be a legal requirement. The Government has also said it plans to consult on this in the future. In practice, the above changes will result in nearly all new schools being tested now.
What next?
Although this is a major campaign victory, it isn't quite over yet!
NDCS will be responding to the forthcoming Government consultation on acoustics in England - and will be calling on NDCS supporters to have their say too.
Today's announcement does not apply to schools in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Our campaigns team from each nation will be calling for action in each corner of the UK in coming months, and will need your help.
Keep visiting our campaign news pages from across the UK and the Take action! page for more details on this.
More information:
Ministerial statement on acoustics (external website)
NDCS Sounds good? campaign (England)
NDCS Sounds Good? campaign (Wales)
Contact: campaigns@ndcs.org.uk
