05 September 2023 , 11:26
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Schools across the UK have been thrown into chaos as hundreds of children are set to miss the start of term due to the crumbling concrete crisis.
Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is a lightweight building material used between the 1950s and 1990s, but is now assessed to be at risk of collapse. These safety fears have since triggered the full or partial closure of more than 100 schools in England.
As a result, some pupils and teachers have been forced out of classrooms, with various areas such as gyms, canteens, main halls and toilets shut for construction work. This morning, staff at St Anne's Catholic Primary School in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear were spotted sitting on a footpath with their laptops while desperately trying to connect to Wi-Fi away from the school's property.
Meanwhile, at St Thomas More Comprehensive in South East London, portaloos have been brought in as the school prepares to open for the start of term tomorrow. At Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls in Ealing, pupils have been told to bring in packed lunches as the canteen is currently out of use.
Portaloos have been brought in at St Thomas More School in South East London (Tim Merry/Daily Mirror)Parents of pupils affected by the school concrete crisis have criticised the Education Minister over her foul-mouthed rant about the issue. Gillian Keegan claimed the government has gone "over and above" in addressing concerns about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in a TV interview yesterday. She was then recorded saying: "Does anyone ever say, you know what, you've done a f***ing good job because everyone else has sat on their a**** and done nothing.”
Schools boss Gillian Keegan says she's doing 'f***ing good job' in hot mic gaffe
Charlotte Saunders’ daughter Olive, 11, attends The Ellen Wilkinson School in Ealing, West London, where science labs, a gym and canteen have been vacated as works are carried out. Blasting Ms Keegan’s remarks at the school gates this morning, Charlotte, 46, said: “It’s a typical Conservative reaction.
“If she thinks people are just sitting around she is wrong - it’s everyone else that’s been active sorting everything out since their government has been in. We don’t live too far from Grenfell [Tower] and we’ve moved from having our home covered in harmful cladding and spending the last six years fighting to make that safer, to my daughter coming to school and having similar issues here.”
Ms Keegan later said she was sorry for her "off-the-cuff" remark and insisted her comments were not aimed at anyone "in particular". She said she was not expecting to be thanked personally for her work but praised her department for taking a "leadership role".
Scaffolding at Balbardie Primary School in Scotland (Getty Images)But mum Fleur Bowen - whose daughter Alexa is in Year 7 - remained unimpressed. The 48-year-old said: “You don’t get thanks for something you failed to do. They’ve known about [RAAC] for years. To then turn around and suggest we should be thanking them for doing something seems wrong. Part of me thinks, ‘just shut up and do the job’. The way the school’s handled it, we can’t really ask for more. But the way the Government’s handled it, we could have asked for more.”
Fleur works at a housing association and has been involved in the replacement of unsafe Grenfell-style Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding used on hundreds of buildings. She said: “The government has been putting loads of pressure on housing organisations to make changes to private sector buildings, public sector buildings, and yet they’ve not taken the same responsibility themselves for schools which seems slightly off."
Concrete-like RAAC has been found to crumble easily, prompting the Department of Education to last week advise schools that "any space or area with confirmed RAAC should no longer be open without mitigations in place". More than 150 schools are reported to have RAAC leading to full or partial closures.
While The Ellen Wilkinson School, which teaches 1,400 girls from 11-18, remains open, some areas have been closed off while safety measures are put in place. Students have been told to bring in packed lunches as the canteen is currently out of use, while children on free school meals will be given vouchers.
Parents outside St Martin's in the Field Girls' School in London (PA)Mum May Magsino, who runs a housekeeping agency, told the Mirror: “For me it’s difficult. I’m also working so I can’t just prepare food in the morning as well - it’s an inconvenience.” The 44-year-old, who lives in Ealing, added: “I go to the office daily and don’t have anyone to help me except my husband - who is also working. Now we have to start earlier and do extra shopping.” Her daughter Jewel, who had her first day in Year 7 yesterday, said her RE and art classes had been moved but she did not mind the inconvenience.
Another mum, Ella, 34, is disappointed that her daughter Glenda’s science lessons being disrupted. “It’s not okay because she is not able to use the laboratory,” she said. “She will hear the lessons and think about them without seeing and doing it for herself. Glenda is just starting Year 7 so it’s a strange start to a new school. But we are lucky that only some parts of school are closed because some are closed completely.”
But Stella Lamb, whose 11-year-old daughter Jessica is in Year 7, is hopeful that the school will resolve the issue soon. The 49-year-old said: “My husband is a headteacher so I understand that it’s been a disrupting situation. At the end of the day the most important thing is the safety. We are optimistic the school will get this sorted as soon as possible.”
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The Ellen Wilkinson School was contacted for a comment. Ealing Council has stated that “everyone’s primary concern is the safety of pupils and staff”.
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said ministers appeared to be attempting to "pass the buck" for school building closures caused by the concrete issue. He said: "I think this whole situation is descending into farce. The Government has dropped the ball here, and failed to prepare. The Prime Minister bears responsibility for some of the key decisions along the way.
"And instead of coming out today and saying, 'This is what we're going to do to fix the problem, which we have made a lot worse', you've got members of the Cabinet coming out trying to blame other people, trying to blame people within their own teams and to say, essentially, 'Put responsibility anywhere but on the Government'.
"That is not what Britain deserves." London Mayor Sadiq Khan went further, saying that Mr Sunak "should've sacked Gillian Keegan". The Labour politician told TalkTV: "He should've sacked Gillian Keegan - if I was Sunak now and you showed me that video of Gillian Keegan I'd be demanding she be kicked out."
Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson said: "Gillian Keegan's disgraceful comments add insult to injury for parents who've seen their children's return to school ruined by this concrete crisis. Expecting people to thank her when children are being taught in classrooms at risk of collapse shows Keegan must be living on another planet."