More than a million children are studying in rundown schools that risk ‘collapsing on top of them’, it has been warned.
Thousands of public sector buildings, including schools, hospitals and courts, are in desperate need of repair.
Some conditions were so bad that they have been said to be the endangering lives of those who visit and work in the buildings.
One in six children are attending schools that either needed major work or were in relatively poor condition.
Almost half of these were in schools that have already been deemed unsafe or in need of refurbishment by the government.
One school in Cumbria was even reportedly evacuated due to concerns from inspectors that the floors could cave in at any moment, the Guardian reported.
Schools in the Midlands were the worst hit with 30 per cent of educational institutions found to be unsafe ageing or marred with defects.
A government spokesperson said: ‘We are taking immediate action to remedy the state of disrepair found in our public estate, which has been neglected over the previous years.’
Meanwhile, NHS England figures revealed that the bill to make its estate fit for purpose had widened from £4.5billion in 2012 to £13.8 billion last year.
One hospital in Sutton was found to be using masking tape to hold windows in place, while mud seeped through the floor, according to The Guardian.
Analysis found that one fifth of 100 prisons in England and Wales it looked into mentioned severe maintenance issues, run down or poor building conditions or inhumane environments for inmates.
Meanwhile, data revealed that only one per cent of court buildings in England are considered to be in good condition.
It came after the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves announced in the October budget that she would change the government’s fiscal rules to borrow more money for capital spending.