Basically the schools now arent at all interested in developing the skills needed to become a skilled tradesman. Plus of course the so called "liberal" health mafia will be twitchy about children using SHARP tools such as chisles or planes or saws......
What will they do on these marvellous lightweight new benches? Design humane mousetraps or something LOL
Keep scouring ebay launditch mate, they come up regularly, as do record or woden vices. I did build my own bench, cost me about £60? plus the cost of the hardware (bench screw) to build a giant post vice at one end-about £15 from axminster. 2 full days work, framed up from mortice and tennoned 4x4's with huge angled braces, oak pegs to peg it together came out the firewood pile, 6x4 front beam to chop mortices on, top made of scandinavian redwood 6x2's biscuited together. Its actualy sturdier than an emir school bench. I am confident I could lower a tractor onto it and the bench wouldnt even creak....