Concrete in schools

[lemonyaid]

How have they only just now decided to close the buildings until they are safe? Has someone been injured?

They've known about this for YEARS. Now after the Scotland issues they're shutting themselves. Next it'll be exposed asbestos.

I'd like to think parents would have been told by now. My eldest's school is invoked and they closed for three days at end of last term and further inspections mean there is work ongoing in Autumn. We were informed about this mid holidays and told there may be closures. However, an update today says they are repairing the roof and that whole floor is not being used but are otherwise operating as normal so I presume relocating classes elsewhere etc.

I am reminded of.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakanal_House_fire

Like @lavenderlou I was going to mention the Building Schools for the Future programme, which was rapidly shut down by the coalition. At the time we lived in a different area where they managed to get quite a few new schools delivered through BSF, some of which were literally falling down. And it made a huge improvement in those communities.

I genuinely despair at how badly things are being run in this country. And I work in local government!

From the BBC

Local government says it warned of risks since 2018

The Local Government Association (LGA) has issued a statement in response to Westminster's decision to close down more than 100 school buildings across England.

Quote Message: Leaving this announcement until near the end of the summer holidays, rather than at the beginning, has left schools and councils with very little time to make urgent rearrangements and minimise disruption to classroom learning." from Local Government Association

Local Government AssociationThe LGA said it had been warning of the risks of RAAC in schools since 2018 and called on the government to "urgently establish a taskforce, including with the LGA and councils, to ensure the safety of both pupils and staff".
The statement also calls for financial support from the government to support those educational settings which have had to close.
"Councils will now work fast to ensure children’s education is disrupted as little as possible," the statement concludes.

Some suggestion that the DfE might have actually finally done something because of the news report from Monday of this private school being fined £80,000 for health and safety breaches that led to a ceiling collapse.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/29/independent-rosemead-school-fined-80000-over-classroom-ceiling-collapse

Only spurred to action by the thought they might get in trouble about it?

DD says they were told more blocks being refurbished this summer, I wonder if due to to more ‘failed’ RAAC like they found last year . Presumably parents will be told about any blocks that still have it ?

of course they are only doing this to avoid being sued.

To be fair the kids can’t get to DD’s school as the footpath there is so overgrown there’s no throughway - along a main road . I’m going to have to drive her. And that’s due to cutbacks by a Tory council.

bastards the lot of them

They should be forced to publish a list of all the schools

Well there will be a million FOI requests going in if not ..

There was a major schools refurbishment/rebuilding programme throughout the 00s.

Why the frig didn't they sort this out then? It was a known issue, and there was money in the budget

It won't just be schools affected, though, will it?

Universities, hospitals, leisure centres, libraries - the list must be endless

Private housing?

https://www.fenews.co.uk/social-impact/conservative-mps-vote-to-cover-up-dangerous-school-buildings/

they voted against doing so.

Great. Another cover up

True.

I’ve known this for ages and worried like hell about my kids school (old, so old, low rise roofs like sheds). Water pisses in frequently. They have the funding to build a whole new school so I was hoping by the time they return they will be in the cabins. Not holding out much hope but I’m glad this is finally being brought to light but this close to September?? Absolute shit show. Obviously wouldn’t expect anything less.

2 months ago

https://bylinetimes.com/2023/06/28/hundreds-of-thousands-of-pupils-at-schools-in-danger-of-imminent-collapse-without-warning/

I reckon my kid’s secondary school was affected. Ceilings started falling in a few places including a large chunk of the main hall overnight.
Despite being a non-fashionable school (single sex, large % ethnic minorities and not a well connected parent base), the money was magically found from some schools capital fund and a programme was initiated to fix it and to rebuild other parts. It struck me as unusual the money appeared as soon as the hall ceiling collapsed.
I reckon this has been going on a while and has been kept hush hush. Perhaps there has been a very near miss that meant it had to be made public.

This government and the def are a shambles.

The timing of this so poor including that head teachers are expected to contact parents and reorganise before Monday!

My HT friend is on holiday in Majorca - as it is ‘the school holidays’ ( actually stuck due to the air traffic incident). You couldn't make it up.

As I posted upthread, this was Labour's BSF programme which made a good start in the mid-2000s but was immediately cancelled when the coalition government took power. Some projects were cancelled right at the last minute.

A school leader posted this on twitter:

So the decision to close schools was made urgently and unexpectedly.

This is typical of the DFE ( covid all over again) and our government. Why can’t people wake up and see what a shit show the conservative government have created? I really cannot believe all this.

Well I can…. They just don’t give a toss.

A secondary school near us is affected.

Cant believe this.

I mean how long is it going to take tp get these schools fixed? What is the school supposed to do in the meantime?