RESPONDING to today's claims that school building maintenance and modernisation in Wales is 'decades' behind England, Shadow Education Minister Paul Davies AM said:

"If we are to tackle the legacy of underinvestment in school building modernisation the Assembly Government needs to be far more ambitious than it has been to date in accessing all available funds.

"A considerable backlog remains in bringing classrooms up to 21st century standards. Labour and Plaid Cymru's ideological hang up with the private sector is holding back investment and modernisation.

"It is a testimony to the hard work of pupils and dedication of teaching staff that children continue to achieve."