The Department for Education says details need to be worked out in the government Priority School Building programme

The Department for education (DfE) has pushed back the announcement of which schools will receive funding for £2bn worth of new building projects to January 2012.

The government’s Priority School Building programme will see £2bn of schools built through private finance initiatives (PFI).

An announcement on which schools would receive funding was scheduled for this month. It is now unlikely to happen before 10 January because the minister is keen to make the announcement in parliament, which will not sit again until this date, Building understands.

A spokesperson for the DfE said: “We are working through the final detail of the investment decisions now – and we are aiming to make an announcement as early as possible in the New Year. This is a major building programme and its right we take our time to get it right.”

The programme is expected to buy schools in batches, providing potentially lucrative opportunities for contractors.

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