The rebuilding of Canvey's secondary schools will depend on funding from a Government scheme which is in disarray, it has been revealed.

County councillors will decide tomorrow whether to accept a report that recommends the closure of Furtherwick Park School and the building of a new Castle View School in its place.

If councillors agree to the reorganisation of secondary education on the island, the work will largely be funded by the failing Building Schools for the Future scheme, which is promising to rebuild all of the 3,500 secondary schools in the country.

Last month, the Department for Education and Skills admitted the nationwide building programme was seriously behind schedule and revealed three years after the initiative started, not a single project had been finished.

The Government has blamed red tape and local councils involved in the early stages making glaring mistakes.

Jan Payne, who has an 11-year-old son at Furtherwick Park School and has been fighting for it to stay open, said she was worried funding problems could delay or even sink the school shake-up.

She said: "People's hopes may have been built up for nothing.

"We all want better education for our children and it comes down to a willingness to learn and dedicated teachers, but if the money isn't there it will be disappointing.

"The consultation and the entire process will have been a complete waste of money if they can't deliver.

"Our fight isn't over yet."

However, Essex County Council is confident it has learned lessons from other local authorities.

Stephen Castle, the county council's cabinet member for education, said: "Building Schools for the Future is an issue we have got to tackle regardless of the decision.

"The reality is some of the local authorities that got involved at the start have had some problems.

"We are in one of the authorities that have come in later and we have spent some time looking at the problems, and we have been praised by the Minister for Schools Jim Knight as being one of the best."