Kids cowering in crumbling RAAC schools 'define 13 years of Tory rule'

04 September 2023 , 17:15

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Education Secretary Gillian Keegan faced MPs in the Commons (Image: parliamentlive.tv)

Crumbling schools define 13 years of Tory rule as children “cower” in classrooms, Labour said tonight.

Thousands of youngsters face disruption at the start of the new school year after dozens of schools were closed amid fears roofs could collapse. Experts warned that dozens of those built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) are at risk, forcing some to close.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has refused to publish a full list of those affected, but pledged to produce one this week. Making an emergency Commons statement, she told MPs: “We will publish a list of schools once mitigations are in place. It is right that parents are informed by schools if they are impacted and that schools have time to work with their DfE (Department for Education) caseworker on those mitigations.

"I'm confirming today that we will publish the list of the 156 schools with confirmed cases of RAAC this week, with details of initial mitigations in place. After this, we will provide updated information as new cases of RAAC are confirmed and existing cases resolved."

Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson accused the top Tory of failing to take responsibility for the crisis. "What an utter shambles,” fumed the Labour frontbencher. “The defining image of 13 years of Conservative Government - children cowering under steel props to stop the ceiling falling in on their heads.

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"The Education Secretary said this morning that in her view it is not the job of her department to ensure the safety of our children's schools, that she was doing a good job. Schools are literally at risk of collapse, she is the Education Secretary, whose responsibility does she think it is then? This is the tragic endgame of the sticking-plaster politics of the last 13 years and children have been failed by this Conservative Government."

She urged the Cabinet Minister to publish the list of schools “promptly, in full, today". Ms Phillipson asked who in the Government would take "some responsibility for sorting out the chaos our children face". Ms Keegan, who was appointed Education Secretary 11 months ago, said: "Of course, that is me. What matters is what you do.

“When I was given new information and had to consider the impacts that this would have on our schools and children, I took action, even though it was politically difficult."

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Ben Glaze