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LONDON, June 29 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday a transformative 10-year rebuilding program for schools across England.

Representing the first major school rebuilding program to be launched since 2014, it will start in 2020-21 with the first 50 projects, supported by over 1 billion pounds (about 1.23 billion U.S. dollars) in funding.

These projects will be confirmed in the autumn, and construction on the first sites will begin from September 2021, said the government in a statement.

The government will also "commit 560 million pounds (about 689 million dollars) and 200 million pounds (about 246 million dollars) for repairs and upgrades to schools and FE (further education) colleges respectively this year," said the government.

"This major new investment will make sure our schools and colleges are fit for the future, with better facilities and brand new buildings so that every child gets a world-class education," said Johnson.

The Guardian newspaper reported that majority of school buildings in England are more than 40 years old, with 60 percent of them built before 1976.

In a 2017 report, the National Audit Office said that "deterioration in the condition of the school estate is a significant risk to long-term value for money." Enditem