Fury as Gillian Keegan tells heads to 'get off their backsides' over RAAC survey
Under-fire schools chief Gillian Keegan has told heads to "get off their backsides" to complete surveys on whether their schools are built using dodgy concrete.
The Education Secretary said 5% of schools and councils have failed to reply to the Government's questions, as officials scramble to identify buildings at risk from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). More than 100 schools in England were given an eleventh-hour order to close or partially shut last week due to safety fears - disrupting the return to class for thousands of kids.
Ms Keegan's comments were branded "outrageous" and a "desperate attempt" to deflect blame by teaching unions and risked igniting the rapidly escalating crisis. It comes less than a day after she was caught on camera expressing frustration that no one was acknowledging what a "f****** good job" she was doing while others sat "on their a***s".
In an interview with Jeremy Vine on Radio 2, she said: "The annoying bit - and this was probably a bit of my frustration yesterday - is despite asking since March 2020, there's 5% of schools and responsible bodies that have not responded to the survey. Now, hopefully, all this publicity will make them get off their backsides. But what I would like them to do is to respond because I want to be the Secretary of State that knows exactly in every school where there's RAAC and takes action."
The Government has promised to publish a list of all the schools affected this week - but has so far refused to reveal any details. Panicking ministers have sought to shift blame for the long-running issue
Schools boss Gillian Keegan says she's doing 'f***ing good job' in hot mic gaffe
Daniel Kebede, National Education Union (NEU) General Secretary, said: "It is outrageous of the Education Secretary to lay any responsibility for the RAAC crisis at the door of schools. The fact is that the Department for Education has dragged its heels over many years on this issue." He added: "The Government has failed to show leadership on this issue for very many years."
Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: "Any attempt to start shifting the blame onto individual schools will be seen by parents and public for what it is: a desperate attempt by government to deflect from its own significant failings. The facts are clear: the current crumbling school estate is the direct result of ministerial decisions to slash capital budgets.
"Furthermore, the government has known about the risks associated with RAAC for many years but has only recently sent out these surveys to responsible bodies. We now have clear evidence that despite all the warnings, the government was not willing to pay for the rebuilding projects that were so desperately needed.
"The fact that we now have classroom ceilings held up by metal poles and classrooms put out of use completely is a reflection of the neglect and cuts we have been warning about for years. The responsibility for this situation sits squarely on the government’s shoulders and no amount of deflection and distraction will change that.”
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