Local authorities are being urged to think more strategically about school modernisation under major new plans launched by the Assembly government and the Welsh Local Government Association this week. Radical changes will be made to the way school capital programmes are organised and funded, with councils expected to look at improvement projects more widely, instead of on a case-by-case basis. The controversial “fit for purpose” target will also be replaced with a new 21st Century Schools standard, taking local priorities into account.