By political editor Paul Francis

Ambitious plans to rebuild 40 Kent schools at a cost of hundreds of millions of pounds are to be scrapped after the government confirmed huge cutbacks to a programme to transform out-dated premises.

The schools secretary Michael Gove has also unexpectedly placed a question mark against plans to develop eight new academies in Kent.

Rebuilding plans for these may also be ditched although the eight are unlikely to be prevented from becoming academies.

The news is a massive blow to Kent schools, which had expected to see £1.8billion invested over the next few years.

Although education chiefs had been prepared for the rebuilding programme to be scaled back, the extent of the cuts is worse than expected.

School chiefs recently warned the educational impact of cancelling schemes planned as part of the Building Schools for The Future programme "are very significant and probably cannot be underestimated".

There could be a further sting in the tail for the county council as it may have to cover the significant costs associated with developing schemes that now stand to be abandoned.

The news is also unwelcome because large numbers of construction jobs were tied up with the redevelopment schemes and these could now be lost.

KCC Conservative leader Paul Carter said: "I have been surprised and disappointed by the scale of the announcement.

"I am enormously disappointed for these schools, teachers, pupils and parents which will not see new schools built."

He added: "We must now work with the coalition government to help them bring the public finances of this country under control.

"At the same time, we will work with them to make sure Kent receives as much as possible from a more limited capital programme to improve school facilities across the county."

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Making his announcement, schools secretary Mr Gove said: "The Building Schools for the Future scheme has been responsible for about one third of all this department’s capital spending.

"But throughout its life it has been characterised by massive overspends, tragic delays, botched construction projects and needless bureaucracy."

Andy Somers, of Hartsdown School, speaks on the cuts

Opposition Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Trudy Dean said: "This is massively disappointing for the schools involved, especially in areas where some brand spanking new schools will already be attracting pupils.

"But Michael Gove is right to say it was hugely bureaucratic and costly in comparison with local authority building programmes, just as Private Finance Initiative was too."

But there was a less pessimistic reaction from one headteacher. Robert Straker, the Kent representative of the NAHT (National Association of Headteachers) said: "If I was a school that had been due to be rebuilt, I would be disappointed.

"But it is the quality of what goes on in the classroom that matter.

"It is about the staff you have - they are the key to quality of any school. We just have to get on with it."

A full list of schools affected is available atwww.education.gov.uk