A UNION has raised concerns about private money being used to fund a £212m school building programme.

Greenwich Council is one of the first authorities in the UK to take part in the Government's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme to rebuild or revamp every secondary school in England in the next 15 years.

The council is set to appoint one of three companies to provide funds to rebuild schools such as Thomas Tallis in Kidbrooke, and Joan Roan School in Maze Hill.

The companies bidding for the work are Vosper Thornycroft, 21st Century Education and Meridian Education.

But Greenwich Unison says it is dismayed at the proposed reliance on the much-discredited Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

It argues private companies funding education services do not provide value for money.

Unison branch secretary Onay Kasab said: "The organisations bidding to build schools in Greenwich owe allegiance to their shareholders, not our children.

"Profit is their prime motive, not education."

A council spokesman said: "The Greenwich BSF programme will be using PFI credits to fund two of the new-build schools.

"But the model used is different to the standard schools PFI model and the national BSF model."